November 2013

I love when a slim novel packs a powerful punch. That is what happened when I read THE HEN WHO DREAMED SHE COULD FLY. On the surface, it’s a story about a hen named Sprout who is trapped in a chicken coop and dreams of hatching an egg and nurturing a chick. Instead, she is sentenced to a life where her hatched eggs slowly roll away from her and are then collected each day and taken to market. The numbing experience of loss and longing is her companion every day. From her perch, she watches animals in the yard milling about and hatches a plan to escape beyond the walls of the hen house and roam freely, in the hopes of becoming a mother.

What unfolds is a story of friendship, the power of freedom and the bonds of motherhood, as well as a look at the definition of what a mother truly is. Humans play a very small role here while animals act out the very human themes. Love, prejudice, a lack of tolerance and the sheer, unadulterated joy of friendship will have you thinking about this story long after you finish it. I immediately suggested it to our high school for summer reading! Press materials referenced ANIMAL FARM and CHARLOTTE’S WEB as comparisons --- and this definitely has the potential to become a classic as well. It would be great for a book group discussion.

Gorgeously packaged with French flaps and beautiful illustrations, it is a fabulous book to share as a gift. It was originally published in South Korea and has sold more than 2,000,000 copies worldwide. You will see why. Wow!