On the Wings of a Hummingbird

Award-winning book that recently earned acclaim from the prestigious Next Generation Indie Book Awards!At 15 years old, Petra must grow into the lessons of the Mayan hummingbird as she carves her future out of a childhood scarred by gang violence. Petra's life has been upended by local gang violence in her small Guatemalan village. Her childhood friend Emilio had a hand in their friend Justina's murder, and his father is the local gang leader's right-hand man. Betrayed by Emilio and abandoned by her mother who has fled to the U.S., Petra now fears for her own life. Petra ultimately flees to the U.S., but the pressures follow her there. As she attempts to reconcile with her mother over the abandonment, Petra is alarmed that her mother disregards the danger when he shows up near their home. The novel explores forgiveness and redemption, how to heal oneself and find a future of integrity with friends and community who have participated in atrocities.

About the Author :
As a Spanish-speaking immigration attorney for 20 years, Susan Mills prepared asylum cases for thousands of immigrants from Central America, with a focus on unaccompanied minors. Some of her family members journeyed from the war-torn countryside of El Salvador to the U.S.. This is her first novel. She now divides her time between the green mountains of Vermont and the wonderfully diverse city of Providence.

Review :
"There is poetry and hardship to spare in Mills's mesmerizing novel ... a profound meditation on the human capacity for repair, for regeneration." - Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award" Susan Mills' On the Wings of a Hummingbird is an eminently readable novel about Guatemala and the resilience of its people. It illustrates how the power of love and community can triumph over the most dire economic and social conditions. I am certain that On the Wings of a Hummingbird will find a wide and devoted readership." - Pablo Medina, author of The Cuban Comedy On The Wings of a Hummingbird is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand more deeply the reasons people leave their ancestral homes in Central America, in this case Guatemala, and make the dangerous journey north. The main character, Petra, is a smart, thoughtful teen living with her caring indigenous grandparents in a small town in rural Guatemala where brutal gangs have been terrorizing residents, especially young women. It becomes clear over time that her refusal to give in to gang demands is endangering her grandparents, so she needs to flee to join her mother in the United States.The process of eluding the gangs and making a new life is a challenge, but Petra's insights into her experience will stay with the reader for a long time. - Nancy Braus, Everyone's Books, Brattleboro, VT "When gang violence threatens fifteen-year-old Petra in her village in Guatemala and follows her to the streets of Providence, she draws on the strength of her family, village elders, and Mayan culture as she tries to find a way to make her dreams a reality. In this provocative debut, Susan Mills illuminates the human reasons for and costs of immigration. Lyrical, thrilling and thought-provoking, Petra's journey is irresistible." - Barbara Morrison, poet and writer, Author of Innocent: Confessions of a Welfare Mother and Terrarium "By weaving together the trauma of gender-based violence, the inescapable clutches of Guatemalan gang violence, and the resilience of the human spirit, Susan Mills has proven herself to be an incredibly impactful storyteller. This is one of the most realistic renderings of the struggle to address trauma and abuse on an individual level that I have seen in my 35+ years of work to end domestic and sexual violence." - Deborah DeBare, Senior Deputy Director, National Network to End Domestic Violence, Washington, D.C and formerly Exectutive Director of RI Coalition Against Domestice Violence for 22 years "I have represented immigrants seeking asylum from Central America for over 30 years. I have never seen a more eloquent distillation of their story. Anyone who cares to understand the crisis at the border must read this book." -- Stephen Born, Lead attorney at Boston-area immigration law firm "A story about growing up through violence and loss, and a fable about how faith and intentionality help an adolescent girl make sense of a world filled with chaos. The reader will learn about Guatemalan folklore and mythology, gang rituals, and the vagaries of the US immigration system. A tale about coming to America and making a new life. It's a page-turner with a sympathetic main character who is practical and resourceful but who is also in touch with magical dreams filled with Mayan gods." - Erica Walch, Former Director of Moore Free Library and Italian-English translator of Le Strade by Ada Negri, Newfane, VT