I’m still working hard to get Justice Delivered in on time! But there is light at the end of the tunnel! I’m 139 pages from going through it and editing the first draft! I think I’ll make it. 🙂
My reading has slowed down since I often work until ten at night, but this past week, I read Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart. It’s listed as general fiction and a coming-of-age story and upon reflection, that’s exactly what it is. Here’s the back cover copy:
“The summer before I turned ten was idyllic—until August 3, 1970. It perfectly describes a time when I thought the world was safe and good things lasted forever…”
Nine-year-old Abby McAndrews has just experienced her greatest loss, and in its wake, her family is unraveling with guilt, grief, and anger. Her father, Reverend McAndrews, cannot return to the pulpit because he has more questions than answers. Her older brother Matt’s actions speak louder than the words he needs to confess, as he acts out in dangerous ways. Her mother tries to hold her grieving family together, but when Abby’s dad refuses to move on, the family is at a crossroads.
Stars in the Grass, set in a small Midwestern town in 1970, is an uplifting novel that explores a family’s relationships and resiliency. Abby’s heartbreaking remembrances are balanced by humor and nostalgia as her family struggles with—and ultimately celebrates—life after loss.
My take:
This is a story that will stay with you long after “the end”. While it’s about the loss of a child, and how a family deals with the aftermath…or rather the way they don’t deal with it for a long time, it’s also a story of hope.
I got so caught up in the story that I stayed up much later than I meant to. I really identified with Abby. Ann Marie Stewart really captured the thoughts and feelings of an eleven-year-old. In fact, she captured each member of the family perfectly. Sometimes, watching the brother in the story was like watching a train wreck about to happen.
I greatly admire Stewart’s ability to pull the reader into the world of the McAndrews. Great story, extremely well-written and an ending that fits perfectly. I highly recommend it.
My question for your comments: Do you ever get so caught up in a story, the characters seem real? Let me know.
[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]5 Stars from Patricia Bradley for Stars in the Grass a story of great loss, but also of great hope. A beautiful, haunting tale, it is one I won’t soon forget. ~ Ann Tatlock [/tweet_box]
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Comments 18
Oh my goodness Patricia!! This was my top read of 2017, I enjoyed it so much!! It shredded my heart and began putting the jagged pieces back together as the story progressed…it was SO, SO good and kept me up way too late. But WOW, it was so worth the extra tiredness the next day. I’m hoping she will write another novel somewhere down the road. I’ve recommended this to so many people as well. It may be worth a re-read and that’s never happened to me 🙂 (re-reading a book that is)
I’ve had many books keep me up way past what I want to be! To me, that’s a sign of a awesomely good book 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, so happy you enjoyed it just as much as I did!!
Author
Thanks, Trixi. I truly did enjoy the book and have recommended it to several people. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you for this review, sounds wonderful. Yes, I have read books in which the characters have seemed real. A couple of Chaim Potok books come to mind: Davita’s Harp, The Gift of Asher Lev, and My Name is Asher Lev. That Potok, he was talented!
Author
Priscilla, I’ve not read any Potok books, so thank you for another author to check out. Thanks for dropping in!
Thank you for the great review! I don’t know how I missed hearing about this book.
Author
I was the same way, Caryl! I hadn’t heard of it until the ACFW bookclub was reading it. I’m sure glad they chose that one to read. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
You did a perfect job of summarizing and presenting the highlights of this book.
Author
Thanks, Delores. Thanks for dropping in and joining the conversation!
I have not heard of this book! However, after your review, I will certainly be looking for it! YES, I am often really pulled into books/characters. I just finished London Tides by Carly Laureano and will remember it for a long time….may be my fave of the year!
Author
Jackie, I love all of Carla Laureano’s books! Glad this one piques your curiosity! Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for the review, Pat. It sounds like an interesting book. I have read a number of books where the characters seemed real. I can’t always relate to them just as I might have a problem relating in real life because their life and circumstances are so different from my own. That makes them no less real.
Author
Absolutely, Edward. I think I related to Abby, the 11-yr-old in the book. I thought a lot like she did when I was that age. Ann really captured her. Thanks for stopping by!
Yes! Sometimes I dream about the characters and what might happen next 🙂
Author
Great, Mindy! Thanks for stopping by.
I do. I can especially get caught up in series where you visit characters over and over.
Author
I love series characters, Gloria. 🙂 Thanks for joining in on the conversation.
I was not familiar with this book but thank you so much for sharing your review. It sounds like a wonderful book! I often get caught up in the books/series that I read because the characters seem so real. In the case of the series, I’ve been involved with those same characters for so long that they’ve become “old friends” and it’s as though we’re just catching up on what’s been going on in their lives since our last visit.
Author
Hi Lisa! So glad you stopped by my blog. And I feel that way about series characters. I love catching up!