Literature & Fiction
![Mia McKenzie - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_mia_mckenzie.jpg)
Skye Falling: A Novel
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
LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD WINNER• 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get in touch, her mother is being bewilderingly kind, and the West Philly pool halls and hoagie shops of her youth have been replaced by hipster cafés.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.
LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD WINNER• 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.
Editorial 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
"Hilarious, engaging and delightfully ribald."-St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"One of the truest depictions of modern queer life I've read in a while."-BookRiot
"A disenchanted protagonist for the ages."-Bitch Media
"Razor-sharp and outrageously funny, Skye Falling is an absolute winner. Mia McKenzie has created a one-in-a-million heroine in Skye Ellison and has crafted an entirely fresh story about love that charms with curmudgeonly wit and a tender heart."-Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Malibu Rising
"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
"Mia McKenzie is writer who can move from heartbreak to laughter in a single paragraph, while brilliantly reinventing queer family and friendship and the ways in which we get stuck and unstuck along the way. When I could manage to put this book down, I looked up ...
"This endearing and hilarious book is an ode to chosen family, soft Philly pretzels, and the people who make us feel at home."-BuzzFeed
"Hilarious, engaging and delightfully ribald."-St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"One of the truest depictions of modern queer life I've read in a while."-BookRiot
"A disenchanted protagonist for the ages."-Bitch Media
"Razor-sharp and outrageously funny, Skye Falling is an absolute winner. Mia McKenzie has created a one-in-a-million heroine in Skye Ellison and has crafted an entirely fresh story about love that charms with curmudgeonly wit and a tender heart."-Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Malibu Rising
"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
"Mia McKenzie is writer who can move from heartbreak to laughter in a single paragraph, while brilliantly reinventing queer family and friendship and the ways in which we get stuck and unstuck along the way. When I could manage to put this book down, I looked up ...
Readers Top Reviews
Amy
Can you like a book when you kind of hate the main character? It's really hard for me. Skye is the worst. She's selfish, and yes she kind of changes but I was so irritated with her a lot of the time. It was hard to connect with any characters. No one was very likeable. On top of that, I got bored in the middle of this story. Really, I should have stopped reading, but since I had this bother from Book of the Month and Netgalley I wanted to finish. ⭐⭐💫 I wouldn't recommend
Mara L.Amy
Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie is a nuanced, sometimes hilarious story about self-discovery in middle age. Skye is a queer black woman in her late 30s from Philadelphia, who runs a small travel company and leads expeditions all over the world. She spends the majority of her time traveling. While on leave in Philadelphia, she runs into Vicky, a 12 year old girl who informs Skye that she’s her “egg.” About 13 years prior, Skye donated her eggs to her married friend to conceive a child. Vicky’s mother has recently passed from cancer and want to get to know Skye. She decides to take a break from leading travel expeditions to get to know Vicky and it becomes such a heartwarming story about building new relationships. At the beginning, I was getting frustrated with Skye as she could be incredibly self-centered and immature, but I loved her journey through the book. We learn the reasons behind Skye’s behavior and complicated past relationships. The dialogue and Skye’s internal monologue are so sharply written and hilarious at times. I loved the character-driven story and getting to know Skye, Vicky, her guardian Aunt Faye, and Viva. Thank you Random House and NetGalley for providing this ARC.
J. Rose O.Abdil M
It was a good read, but not the kind of book you couldn't put done. Not many twist or turns, the ending was fairly predictable. All in all it was a good summer read for me.
J and D CufoneSML
Do not waste your time on this book! So much unnecessary slang. Its time I can not get back. Ug
AmandaJ and D Cuf
I really enjoyed reading this on my vacation this summer. It’s relevant, Black-centered, queer, funny and gives you all the feels! Loved seeing the progression of Skye the main character who is hilarious to follow. The characters felt like family. Definitely looking forward to reading more of Mia’s work.
Short Excerpt Teaser
"You still live there?"
"I left the day I turned eighteen. But I still stay in West Philly when I'm in town. My friend owns a bed-and-breakfast not that far from here."
She's watching me intently now and I'm sure she's trying to read me. I don't like it. Most people can't get a read on me but I worry that if this kid really wanted to, she could, like a genetic knowing, passed to her through my DNA or some shit. Then she says, "Why'd you do it, though? Just for money or, like, other reasons, too?"
I can see the kid is getting at something. I guess this is why she came: to know the reasons she exists. That feels heavy and I wish this conversation wasn't happening.
"How'd you find me?" I ask her, mostly to deflect.
"Google."
"You searched ‘where is my egg donor' and that led you right to me? Wow, technology really is on some next-level shit."
She laughs a little, and I like the sound of it more than I could have anticipated. "No, not like that," she says. "I saw your name on these papers. I guess they were my mom's. Then I looked you up on Facebook and saw you might be at that art thing today."
"Ah."
"So, why'd you give your eggs to some girl you only knew at camp?"
"Jesus Christ, kid," I say, because she's legit relentless. "That's a really heavy question."
"Sorry," she says. "I'm a lot sometimes. People say that about me."
Same.
"It was a long time ago," I tell her. "I don't really remember all the reasons. But probably some part of my twenty-six-year-old self thought it would be cool to help make a kid I could maybe someday meet but not have to, you know, support financially. Speaking of which, you know we're going dutch here, right?"
She laughs again. The sound gets up under my ribs in this weird way, like a vibration. And then, out of nowhere, this thought occurs to me: I have never seen such a perfect human being.
"Excuse me for a second," I say. "I need to, um, vomit." I get up and walk toward the bathroom.
When I'm out of sight of the kid, I change course and head straight for the exit. I stop. The stepsister is right there by the door. Shit. I head for the bathroom instead.
I'm halfway out the window when the door opens and the kid enters. She sees me making a break for it and now she looks horrified. Not curious. Not amused. Horrified. I knew we'd get there eventually.
"You're sneaking out?"
"No!" I look down at myself, one leg already out the window, the other foot dangling above the sink.
"Well, yes."
"Why?"
Trouble is, I don't really know why. Not entirely. I mean, obviously I can't handle this. But going out a window to escape my brother is one thing. Going out a window to ditch a twelve-year-old girl seems extreme even to me. "Look. You seem like a nice kid. But I'm not really . . . you know . . . motherly."
"Yeah, that's kinda obvious," she says. "Good thing I don't need a mother."
I'm not sure I believe her. People can be tricky when they're trying to get something from you, especially if that something is love.
The kid shakes her head. "Fine. Whatever. Just go."
I feel shame blossoming in my chest and I don't like it. Maybe it would be better if I came back inside. Maybe the kid really isn't looking for another mother. I mean, how many mothers does one girl need in a lifetime? I have one and, frankly, it's too many! And even if she is . . . well . . . maybe I could be that. I mean, I might not make the best mother, but I probably wouldn't be the worst. I could maybe pull off second mom in a pinch. I look at the kid. Take a deep breath. And climb a little farther out the window.
"You're still going?!"
"What? You just said I could go!"
Exasperated, the kid turns and storms out of the bathroom.
This is the part where I'm supposed to go after her. But I don't. I just sit there, half in, half out of the window, until some old lady comes in to pee, sees me, and frowns, all judgy, like she thinks I'm trying to dine and dash or some shit.
"This isn't how it looks," I tell her.
She smirks like, if you say so and goes into a stall.
When I get back to our table, the kid and her stepsister are gone. The word "dutch" has been scrawled on the check and there's cash for one hot dog beside it.
It's mid-afternoon and even warmer a...
"I left the day I turned eighteen. But I still stay in West Philly when I'm in town. My friend owns a bed-and-breakfast not that far from here."
She's watching me intently now and I'm sure she's trying to read me. I don't like it. Most people can't get a read on me but I worry that if this kid really wanted to, she could, like a genetic knowing, passed to her through my DNA or some shit. Then she says, "Why'd you do it, though? Just for money or, like, other reasons, too?"
I can see the kid is getting at something. I guess this is why she came: to know the reasons she exists. That feels heavy and I wish this conversation wasn't happening.
"How'd you find me?" I ask her, mostly to deflect.
"Google."
"You searched ‘where is my egg donor' and that led you right to me? Wow, technology really is on some next-level shit."
She laughs a little, and I like the sound of it more than I could have anticipated. "No, not like that," she says. "I saw your name on these papers. I guess they were my mom's. Then I looked you up on Facebook and saw you might be at that art thing today."
"Ah."
"So, why'd you give your eggs to some girl you only knew at camp?"
"Jesus Christ, kid," I say, because she's legit relentless. "That's a really heavy question."
"Sorry," she says. "I'm a lot sometimes. People say that about me."
Same.
"It was a long time ago," I tell her. "I don't really remember all the reasons. But probably some part of my twenty-six-year-old self thought it would be cool to help make a kid I could maybe someday meet but not have to, you know, support financially. Speaking of which, you know we're going dutch here, right?"
She laughs again. The sound gets up under my ribs in this weird way, like a vibration. And then, out of nowhere, this thought occurs to me: I have never seen such a perfect human being.
"Excuse me for a second," I say. "I need to, um, vomit." I get up and walk toward the bathroom.
When I'm out of sight of the kid, I change course and head straight for the exit. I stop. The stepsister is right there by the door. Shit. I head for the bathroom instead.
I'm halfway out the window when the door opens and the kid enters. She sees me making a break for it and now she looks horrified. Not curious. Not amused. Horrified. I knew we'd get there eventually.
"You're sneaking out?"
"No!" I look down at myself, one leg already out the window, the other foot dangling above the sink.
"Well, yes."
"Why?"
Trouble is, I don't really know why. Not entirely. I mean, obviously I can't handle this. But going out a window to escape my brother is one thing. Going out a window to ditch a twelve-year-old girl seems extreme even to me. "Look. You seem like a nice kid. But I'm not really . . . you know . . . motherly."
"Yeah, that's kinda obvious," she says. "Good thing I don't need a mother."
I'm not sure I believe her. People can be tricky when they're trying to get something from you, especially if that something is love.
The kid shakes her head. "Fine. Whatever. Just go."
I feel shame blossoming in my chest and I don't like it. Maybe it would be better if I came back inside. Maybe the kid really isn't looking for another mother. I mean, how many mothers does one girl need in a lifetime? I have one and, frankly, it's too many! And even if she is . . . well . . . maybe I could be that. I mean, I might not make the best mother, but I probably wouldn't be the worst. I could maybe pull off second mom in a pinch. I look at the kid. Take a deep breath. And climb a little farther out the window.
"You're still going?!"
"What? You just said I could go!"
Exasperated, the kid turns and storms out of the bathroom.
This is the part where I'm supposed to go after her. But I don't. I just sit there, half in, half out of the window, until some old lady comes in to pee, sees me, and frowns, all judgy, like she thinks I'm trying to dine and dash or some shit.
"This isn't how it looks," I tell her.
She smirks like, if you say so and goes into a stall.
When I get back to our table, the kid and her stepsister are gone. The word "dutch" has been scrawled on the check and there's cash for one hot dog beside it.
It's mid-afternoon and even warmer a...
