Book Summary and Reviews of Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel

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Bonnie Goldberg

Profound yet very funny
I have to confess I was skeptical of the plot - a 77 year old pregnant woman living in an assisted living facility in Texas? But if anyone can pull off this premise with intelligence, profundity and humour it is Laurie Frankel. And after tearing through Enormous Wings, I think this has actually become among my favourite Frankel books. Frankel has a much bigger message to tell - about a woman's bodily agency, about society's treatment of the aging and aged, about performative and harmful legislation, about the multi-generational relationships that sustain us, and about how to understand the things we cannot understand. In a tight 300 pages, with crisp and funny dialogue, Frankel picks apart these big themes with her trademark grace and wit. Highly recommend.

labmom55

Humor with a strong message
Because I’ll happily read anything Laurie Frankel writes, I didn’t even bother to read the blurb about Enormous Wings. Which I recommend doing. Much better to get the sucker punch to the gut when you realize the premise. After a fender bender, 77 year old Pepper Mills’ children decide the safest place for her is in a retirement community. Luckily, she quickly makes friends and even becomes close to one of the few men.
I adored Pepper, maybe because I could so totally relate. A retired English teacher, she’s a total grammar nerd. And she’s not afraid to spell things out using a variety of four letter words. My heart also went out to Father Frank, who embodies a whole different type of minister than is typically found in literature or life.

This book is filled with humor that totally captivated me. The sort that has your chuckling and nodding your head in agreement at the same time. But Frankel is also known for taking on the big issues. In this case, personal freedom and bodily autonomy. In addition to the “big topic”, the book also delves into the aging parent-adult child relationship, the role of a grandparent, and friendships and romance at an advanced age. All of which are handled realistically and thoughtfully.

I guess this book would be classified as magic realism, a genre I often struggle with. And yes, the premise is bonkers but the way Frankel develops the story makes it seem totally believable.

My thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company for an advance copy of this book.

jillg

Who Gets to Decide?
Take a quirky, and slightly surreal premise, add a good dose of emotional depth and thought-provoking themes, and sprinkle in some sharp humor—you get Enormous Wings.

We meet Pepper Mills, a seventy-seven-year-old who’s just moved into a retirement community in Texas—against her better judgment. Then she falls in love with Moth, and becomes pregnant…crazy, right? You can imagine what happens when her children, grandchildren, doctors, and even the press get ahold of the news. Suddenly, Pepper has a lot of decisions to make—and not all of them are entirely up to her.

Laurie Frankel’s writing is so engaging. She pulls you in right from the start, and even when tackling heavier topics, she does it in a way that feels approachable and easy to connect with. I really appreciated how real and imperfect the characters felt—no one is all right or all wrong, which made the story feel more grounded.

What stood out most to me was that constant push and pull between personal freedom, family pressure, and outside judgment. It gives you a lot to think about.

The audiobook, expertly narrated by Becky Ann Baker, was an excellent companion to the book and really added to the overall experience. She nailed the tone and voices.

If you enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of the unexpected and don’t mind suspending disbelief, this one delivers with themes of family, autonomy, and choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the eARC, and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
Publishing May 5, 2026

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