Wings of Glass

From the best-selling author of
Crossing Oceans
comes a heartrending yet uplifting story of friendship and redemption. On the cusp of adulthood, eighteen-year-old Penny Carson is swept off her feet by a handsome farmhand with a confident swagger. Though Trent Taylor seems like Prince Charming and offers an escape from her one-stop-sign town, Penny's happily-ever-after lasts no longer than their breakneck courtship. Before the ink even dries on their marriage certificate, he hits her for the first time. It isn't the last, yet the bruises that can't be seen are the most painful of all.
When Trent is injured in a welding accident and his paycheck stops, he has no choice but to finally allow Penny to take a job cleaning houses. Here she meets two women from very different worlds who will teach her to live and laugh again, and lend her their backbones just long enough for her to find her own.

“Gina Holmes pours her heart onto the page in
Wings of Glass
. . . . If you’ve ever suffered at the hands of someone whose idea of showing love is being abusive, you will find a kindred spirit in Penny Taylor. You’ll also find hope and a gentle but firm call to open your eyes to the truth.
Wings of Glass
is a powerful, can’t-put-down novel, so real that it reads like a memoir.”

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS,
NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
MINE IS THE NIGHT

“Simply stellar. Gina Holmes’s stunning literary talent glistens like crystal in
Wings of Glass
. With subtle brilliance, she takes us into the very heart of what makes us hungry to love and be loved.”

SUSAN MEISSNER, AUTHOR OF
A SOUND AMONG THE TREES

“Gina Holmes brings to vibrant life the heart and mind of a young woman trapped in a dangerous relationship.
Wings of Glass
is a moving novel filled with humor, grit, and grace.”

JULIE KLASSEN, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR

“I was swept away by Gina Holmes’s memoir-like story of beauty rising from the ashes. An honest and realistic look at abuse is never easy in fiction, but Holmes weaves the story with grace, ease, and above all, hope.”

RACHEL HAUCK, AUTHOR OF
THE WEDDING DRESS

“Gina Holmes is known for crafting intense literary prose and dynamically drawn characters. With
Wings of Glass
, she’s done it again, creating a painful world of domestic violence and examining the reasons victims sometimes remain loyal to their abusers.”

JULIE CANTRELL,
NEW YORK TIMES
AND
USA TODAY
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
INTO THE FREE

“Wings of Glass
is a realistic tale of a big problem in our contemporary world. Gina Holmes has another winner.”

LAURAINE SNELLING, AUTHOR OF THE WILD WEST WIND SERIES

“Adultery, guilt, forgiveness, and, eventually, healing are examined in this well-written, compelling, faith-based novel.”

BOOKLIST

“Fans of emotionally packed domestic fiction will love it.”

LIBRARY JOURNAL

“Holmes grabs the reader with a unique storyline about infidelity and what it truly means to forgive after betrayal. By looking at the situation from a different angle, the author provides a great deal of food for thought and contemplation.”

ROMANTIC TIMES

“Holmes has a talent for building tense and emotional scenes. This book probes the depths of pain and heartache in family relationships.”

CHRISTIANBOOKPREVIEWS.COM

“[A] haunting tale that packs an emotional wallop. Keep tissues near.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Holmes’s characters are so real they pop from the pages. . . . [A] dramatic, emotional, faith-based novel.”

BOOKLIST

“Poignant and unforgettable, this book will break your heart—and then put the pieces back together again. An uplifting and inspiring tale that reminds us to live every day as if it’s our last.”

TESS GERRITSEN,
NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLING AUTHOR

“Gina Holmes has crafted a poignant, emotional story that explores family dynamics and the power of love. When the last page is turned, you’ll wish there were more. Set your tissue box close by, readers. This one will grab you hard.”

CROSSWALK.COM

“A stunning debut. . . . Rarely does a book grab me and turn my emotions upside down.
Crossing Oceans
is one that did just that.”

MINNEAPOLIS EXAMINER

“This novel is absolutely amazing. The characters are quirky, relatable, and incredibly realistic. Everything—from characters to plot twists—is original and unique, demonstrating Holmes’s refreshingly strong and distinct voice.”

CHRISTIANBOOKPREVIEWS.COM

“
Crossing Oceans
gripped me from the get-go. If you’re a reader who shuns a tearjerker, this isn’t for you. But for everyone else, you’ll cherish it. It overflows with themes such as hope, restoration, and beating the odds.”

TITLETRAKK.COM

Visit Tyndale online at
www.tyndale.com
.

To learn more about Gina Holmes, visit
www.ginaholmes.com
and
www.novelrocket.com
.

TYNDALE
and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Wings of Glass

Copyright © 2013 by Gina Holmes. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of woman copyright © Bob Thomas/iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of wings copyright © defun/Veer. All rights reserved.

Cover textures copyright © Kim Klassen. All rights reserved.

Designed by Beth Sparkman

Edited by Kathryn S. Olson

The author is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary, 2373 NW 185th Avenue, Suite 165, Hillsboro, OR 97124.

Scripture quotations are taken from the
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Wings of Glass
is a work of fiction. Where real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales appear, they are used fictitiously. All other elements of the novel are drawn from the author’s imagination.

ISBN 978-1-4143-8191-6 (Apple); ISBN 978-1-4143-8192-3 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4143-8193-0 (Kindle)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Holmes, Gina.

Wings of glass / Gina Holmes.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4143-6641-8 (sc)

1. Female friendship—Fiction. 2. Abused wives—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3608.O494354W56 2013

813’.6—dc23 2012032453

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

ECCLESIASTES 4:12

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world,

the master calls a butterfly.

RICHARD BACH

For Mom and Chrissy

Thank you to:

• God, for giving me wings that will never shatter.
  
• My husband and children, for their love and support.
  
• My two critique partners and right-hand girls: Jessica Dotta and Ane Mulligan.
  
• My amazing editors: Kathryn Olson, Karen Watson, and Stephanie Broene; and the design team (who always give me beautiful covers).
  
• The rest of the Tyndale team: Ron Beers, Babette Rea, Linda MacKillop, and all the sales, PR, marketing, editorial, administrative folks. You all are amazing!
  
• Cindy Sproles, Eddie Jones, and Bonnie Calhoun.
  
• River Laker and Roanoke City Libraries for your support and fabulous book launch parties.
  
• Chip MacGregor, the best agent an author could hope to have.
  
• The NovelRocket.com team. You guys are the best.
  
• Early readers who gave invaluable feedback: Adam, Leah Morgan, Casey Herringshaw, Katy Lewis, Jen Schuch, Alycia Morales, Gina Conroy, and those who I’m sure I forgot but am still grateful to!
  
• Rachel McRae, for her support and kindness.
  
• To all those struggling bookstore folks who continue on for the love of words. We authors appreciate you.
  
• Nora and Fred St. Laurent and all of the wonderful friends who support me.
  
• Last, but certainly not least—my parents and family.
  

HE ALWAYS SAID
if I left he would kill me, but there are far worse fates than death. Guess I hadn’t really known that until I met and married Trent Taylor. I didn’t mind the cuts and bruises half as much as the insults and accusations. Whoever said “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” has never been on the other end of a tongue that really knows how to cut.

I hope you never know that kind of pain, Son. More than that, I hope you never cause it. How could you? You have such a soft heart. My sweet Emmanuel.

Surely by now I’ve told you your name means “God with us.” Because he was, Manny. He is. Even if you haven’t realized it yet, you’re lucky to have such a wonderful name. I used to hate mine—Penny—because that’s exactly how much I felt I was worth for most of my life. But God used you to change all that.

It’s important to tell you before I begin this story that it’s not my intention to make you hate your father. He’s a
man—fallen, like the rest of us. But I know you’ll ask about him, and I decided when you were old enough, I would share with you all I know. That day hasn’t come yet—you’re just beginning to talk!—but I’d best write it down while it’s fresh in my mind. Although some of it, I know, will never fade.

Reading this won’t be easy, and please don’t feel you have to if it’s too much. I’m not one to believe all truths need to be spoken, but just in case you want to know, need to know, I’d rather you hear it from me as a whole story than get bits and pieces of the puzzle from others and not be able to make them fit together quite right.

Besides, your grandmother told me long ago the best way not to repeat history is to know it. I think that’s probably right.