Skye Falling

A Novel

By: Mia McKenzie

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK • A woman who’s used to going solo discovers that there’s one relationship she can’t run away from in this “hilarious, electric” (The New York Times) novel, a probing examination of the complexities of family, queerness, race, and community

FINALIST FOR THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Boston Globe, Autostraddle, Shondaland • “A new kind of love story, the best kind.”—Ashley C. Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter

When she was twenty-six and broke, Skye didn’t think twice before selling her eggs and happily pocketing the cash. Now approaching forty, Skye still moves through life entirely—and unrepentantly—on her own terms, living out of a suitcase and avoiding all manner of serious relationships. Maybe her junior high classmates weren’t wrong when they voted her “Most Likely to Be Single” instead of “Most Ride-or-Die Homie,” but at least she’s always been free to do as she pleases.

Then a twelve-year-old girl tracks Skye down during one of her brief visits to her hometown of Philadelphia and informs Skye that she’s “her egg.” Skye’s life is thrown into sharp relief and she decides that it might be time to actually try to have a meaningful relationship with another human being. Spoiler alert: It’s not easy.

Things get even more complicated when Skye realizes that the woman she tried and failed to pick up the other day is the girl’s aunt, and now it’s awkward. All the while, her brother is trying to get in touch, her mother is being bewilderingly kind, and the West Philly pool halls and hoagie shops of her youth have been replaced by hipster cafés.

With its endearingly prickly narrator and a cast of characters willing to both challenge her and catch her when she falls, this novel is a clever, moving portrait of a woman and the relationships she thought she could live without.

©2021 Mia McKenzie (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Maybe it’s because we’re coming out of a year of isolation, or maybe it’s because I’ve spent far too much time extremely plugged into social media, or maybe it’s simply because I’m a Gemini, but sometimes, I wake up and crave chaos. I (truly, emphatically, unconditionally) don’t want to be a part of the drama — but I do want to read about something so outrageous, so unexpected, so out of pocket, that I feel as if I am buzzing and I can’t help texting my friends to gossip about it. How lucky I am, then, to have read Mia McKenzie’s hilarious, electric novel, Skye Falling.” (The New York Times)

“This endearing and hilarious book is an ode to chosen family, soft Philly pretzels, and the people who make us feel at home.” (BuzzFeed)

“I can’t remember the last time a book made me laugh, cry, and reflect as thoroughly as Skye Falling. Mia McKenzie has written the kind of story I’ve been searching for, and maybe even gave up on as a possibility, and now, suddenly, it’s here. This is a narrative about family, responsibility, and home. It's a new kind of love story, the best kind, and you’ll be turning the pages just as quickly as I did.” (Ashley C. Ford, author of Somebody’s Daughter)

Wonderful

Tells the tale of women in relationship to family, society children and each other, with all the joy and anguish of surviving a difficult childhood, a traumatic society and the challenge of vulnerability. Wonderful ! Lively pleasant narration. Made me also buy the book in paper along with some of her other writings!

Family, friends are life

Such a heartwarming story. Cried several times. Laughed here and there. It’s a great story. The narrator was phenomenal.

Superb performance

I loved the story, but the performance was my favorite ever! The narrator brought so much life to the story and so much personality to Skye.

Hilarious and deep

This book made me laugh out loud and fall back in love with Philadelphia. So good.

A narcissist, albeit, a lovable narcissist!

Bahni Turpin made this story! Skye is funny, looking for love, and self-centered. She's lucky enough to have friends who love her in spite of herself and she even comes to like herself.

sweet

I really loved Skye, But Vickie was the bomb.
my favorite was the yelling scene
great story, premise and thank you for the epilogue.

One of the best books I have ever read!

I am not going to write about the characters or the content of this book, but I will write about the feeling it gave me. I felt like I was young again and discoving the joy of reading and learning something apart from myself. I recommend this book, and if you can, listen to the audible because the narration is absolutely genius. I will definitely put this on my read again list.

Beautiful story

This book points on so many complicated points in life while also being funny, real, and focusing on intersectionality. Definitely recommend.

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!

I enjoyed this book so much! It made me laugh, cry, think. It had everything, new found family, community activism, gentrification, rap... I highly recommend.

Turpin is amazing in the audio!

I am a huge fan of narrator Bahni Turpin. Whatever she narrates, I love. Plus, “Skye Falling” sounded like a story that would make me humiliate myself in public by guffawing while walking alone.

Skye is an independent single woman, who owns her own travel agency. When she was 26, and not successful, her bff from summer camp asked if she could have some of her eggs. Needing the cash, she agreed to give her friend her eggs. Fast forward to age 40, a 12-year-old spunky girl enters Skye’s life claiming to be her “egg”. Well Skye forgot all about those eggs. She’s not sure she wants anything to do with her egg-donated child.

Adding to the fun, Skye finds out that the woman raising her “egg” is someone Skye recently tried to pick-up. Her “egg”, Vickie, is relentless in trying to forge a relationship with Skye. Skye is very single and not familiar with adulting around a teen.

The story is cleverly written. I think I would have enjoyed the book; yet Bahni Turpin adds so much to the story, as she narrates Skye perfectly. Skye is a bit “raw” or I’d say “gritty”. The F-bomb is thrown frequently, yet when it comes out of Ms. Turpin’s mouth, it’s not offensive to me. In fact, most of the time I howled in laughter.

This deserves a full 5 stars for hilarity and cleverness. Having you “egg” hunt you down is a clever concept. Skye herself is a cheeky character who I grew to adore….5 stars!! Bahni Turpin definitely gets 5 stars. The audio is fantastic!!