Boy With Wings

By: Mustian, Mark

Every misfit has a story. This one has wings.

From internationally renowned author Mark Mustian comes a novel where historical Southern Gothic meets the supernatural, in a story like no other.

In the Jim Crow South, a baby is born with strange, wing-like appendages. The townsfolk call him a devil. His mother calls him Johnny Cruel-and to save him, she fakes his death and runs. So begins a life on the margins.

Set against the backdrop of 1930s and '40s America, Boy With Wings is a poignant work of Southern literary fiction about one boy's extraordinary body and his lifelong struggle to belong. From a backwoods turpentine camp to a traveling freak show, from found families of outcasts to the halls of power in Tallahassee, Johnny's journey explores the lines between acceptance and exploitation, isolation and love.

Is Johnny a monster, an angel, or just a boy trying to live in peace? As he searches for meaning-through love, loss, betrayal, and brutal truths-Johnny must decide whether to keep hiding... or rise on his own terms.

Told in vivid, lyrical prose, this tale of identity blends elements of Southern Gothic, outsider fiction, and found family stories. Boy With Wings is a powerful meditation on identity, stigma, resilience, and the quiet miracles that help us soar.

For readers of The Secret Life of Bees and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, this is a novel that lingers-long after the final page is turned.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DP1Q6T7V
• ISBN13: 9798888244272
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Koehler Books
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Boy With Wings

Boy With Wings is the first novel I have read by Mark Mustian. I found this Depression era tale to be an interesting read about finding where you belong and how to accept yourself. My heart broke for Johnny as he tries to navigate being outcast in his hometown and making a new start. I wanted to see what he would find along the way. His story leads to variety of emotion, such as, love, loss, betrayal, courage, anger, happiness, and sadness. Just when he thought he found where he belonged, something else happens. I was rooting for him all throughout the book. I admired his determination to continue to survive during the worst of times he experiences. I enjoyed taking this adventure with him in hopes he will discover who he truly is and what is important in life. It covers a lot of the "norms" of the era: diversity, racism, and religion. I am going to give Boy With Wings a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical fiction/magical realism/literary fiction. I would be interested in reading more books from the author, Mark Mustian, in the future. I believe this one is most definitely worth reading and not to be missed. I loved it. I received a paperback copy of Mark Mustian's Boy With Wings from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.