A 2015 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist

Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava -- in all other ways a normal girl -- is born with the wings of a bird. In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naive to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the summer solstice celebration. That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava's quest and her family's saga build to a devastating crescendo. First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.

Author: Leslye Walton
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 03/25/2014
Pages: 320
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780763665661
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 6.8
Point Value: 12
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 168895 / Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender


Award: 2015 Tayshas Reading Commended - Young Adult
Award: 2015 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist - Young Adult Literature
Award: 2015 Literary Award Winner - Children/Young Adult
Award: 2015 Washington State Book Award Winner - Young Adults


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 12/23/2013
School Library Journal 02/01/2014 pg. 116
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2014
Booklist 03/01/2014 pg. 72
Shelf Awareness 03/25/2014
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 05/01/2014
PW Best Children's Books 11/03/2014 pg. 48
PW Children's Starred Reviews 12/01/2014 pg. 99
SLJ's Best Books 12/01/2014 pg. 26
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2014 pg. 133 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
Leslye Walton says that The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender began as a short story that came to her while listening to a song. She has an MA in writing, and this is her first novel. Walton is a native of Tacoma, Washington, and she currently teaches middle school in Seattle.