Wings Theme of Family

The whole point of Laurel's life, she finds out, is to become part of a human family so that she can inherit the land that will guarantee a peaceful existence for all faeries. She's always known that she was adopted, but everything else is news to her. It's not like it makes her love her human parents any less, but it does make us wonder: How much does family shape who you become? Will Laurel ever learn about her biological (faerie) family? Heck, do faeries even have families in the same sense that humans do?

Laurel doesn't get all her questions answered in Wings (so neither do we), but we're happy that she got to grow up in a loving family. David's family is another example of a family in the book, and his is a thoroughly contemporary one (since his parents are divorced, which is pretty common these days). As for Tamani, we never hear about his family. And do trolls even have families? Who knows?

Questions About Family

  1. In what ways does Laurel take after her human parents?
  2. What are David's feelings about his mother and father?
  3. How do you think Laurel's life would've been different if her parents had another child?
  4. What role do Laurel's parents play in her decision to remain in the human world?