Date

Jun 04 2026

Time

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Pam McGaffin presents ‘Shade of Wings’

A crow’s-eye view into interconnection, nature, and disease at a dangerous time for both human- and bird-kind.

Third Place Books welcomes local author Pam McGaffin to our Ravenna store for a conversation about her new novel Shade of Wings, which follows a family of New York City crows as they fight to survive an outbreak of West Nile virus during the summer of 1999.

This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!

Tickets:

This event is free to attend. Registration is recommended in advance.

Please note: While RSVP helps us anticipate attendance, your RSVP may not guarantee a seat. Seating is first-come, first-served, and all events at our Ravenna neighborhood store are free and open to the public. Only standing room may be available for events with high interest.

We are happy to accommodate any accessibility concerns. Please contact us at events@thirdplacebooks.com or call our Ravenna store at (206) 525-2347.

About Shade of Wings. . .

For fans of Laline Paull, a speculative young adult novel about a family of New York City crows struggling to survive the outbreak of West Nile virus during the sizzling summer of 1999.

Four-year-old Duncan needs to hurry up and find a mate—or so says his sister, Cloud. But she doesn’t know about the mistake that’s preventing him from leaving their family to start another.

Though he’s the eldest, Duncan doesn’t see himself as a leader. Yet that’s what he must become when both his parents die of the mysterious illness that’s killing crows across New York City. He devotes himself to caring for his siblings, including three fledglings—but he soon discovers he can’t protect them from the “blind death.”

Meanwhile, a zoo pathologist’s worst fears are realized. It starts with dead flamingos. Then critically ill New Yorkers start showing up in hospital emergency rooms.

Some blame the crows.

Shade of Wings is Pam McGaffin‘s second young adult novel. Her first, The Leaving Year, (SparkPress, 2018), won three finalist teen fiction awards and took first place in the 2018 Best Book Awards for young adult fiction. A proud bird nerd, she lives in Seattle, WA, with her husband, Mark, and rescue dog, Mars. On their daily walks, they are greeted by many crow friends.

About Third Place Books

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle’s Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.

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Venues

Third Place Books Ravenna
6504 20th Avenue Northeast, Seattle, WA, 98115, US
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Local Time

  • Timezone: America/Chicago
  • Date: Jun 04 2026
  • Time: 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm

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