It's the summer solstice. The day is hot and long in central Florida, and author Clarissa Burden is stuck for words. Faced with an impending deadline, she's suffering from a huge case of writer's block. But that's only the beginning of her misery. Her photographer husband is self-absorbed and self-indulgent at best, abusive in a passive-aggressive manner at worst. Unable to write even a single word, Clarissa has taken to imagining various death scenarios for Iggy, a man who dallies with his nude models in her own backyard. Add to that a fly that won't leave her alone, odd characters (like the one-armed, dread-locked tree cutter), and the ghosts of her home's previous inhabitants, and Clarissa's got her hands full. When a fellow writer and friend calls, Clarissa is determined to free herself from the madness if only for one evening. Thus begins her day of adventure.

I love novels set in familiar places. Connie May Fowler highlights the steamy, nature-infused environs of central Florida in HOW CLARISSA BURDEN LEARNED TO FLY-- including the Gulf Coast, wire grass, sticky heat, and slithering creatures. At first it's not apparent that the entire novel will span only a twenty-four hour period, but it becomes clear as the reader gets pulled into Clarissa's story. It seems as though her every thought and action over the course of the day is revealed yet the story keeps moving forward and the reader begins rooting for Clarissa's release from a life that is imprisoning her. How will Clarissa Burden free herself? What will she do about Iggy? The ghosts? Her unwritten book?

Because so much of what is happening with Clarissa is introspective, at times I found myself skipping ahead to the next action sequence. But more often than not, I went back and read the part I had skipped, because the beauty of Clarissa Burden lies in her mental wrangling where she divulges her true self with humor, spunk, and a touch of panache. I also backpedaled because the language of the story was just too delicious to pass up. HOW CLARISSA BURDEN LEARNED TO FLY is a quirky but delightful tale about a woman who must learn to trust herself and empower herself to live the life she dreams of.