Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Algonquin Books (2010), Edition: 1, 256 pages
Description
After a family tragedy orphans her, Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I., moves into her grandmother's mostly black community in the 1980s, where she must swallow her grief and confront her identity as a biracial woman in a world that wants to see her as either black or white.
Media reviews
Booklist
As the child of an African American father and a Danish mother, Durrow brings piercing authenticity to this provocative tale, winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction.
Publishers Weekly
Taut prose, a controversial conclusion and the thoughtful reflection on racism and racial identity resonate without treading into political or even overtly specific agenda waters, as the story succeeds as both a modern coming-of-age and relevant social commentary.
Kirkus Reviews
Nothing especially groundbreaking here, but the author examines familiar issues of racial identity and racism with a subtle and unflinching eye.
Library Journal
But there's much more, and if the novel has a weakness, it's that it oozes conflict. Rachel, who is biracial, is abandoned by her father; a boy who witnesses the rooftop incident has his own difficulties, including a neglectful mother who's also a prostitute. But one can't help but be drawn in by
Show More
these characters and by the novel's exploration of race and identity. VERDICT With similar themes to Zadie Smith's White Teeth and a tone of desolation and dislocation like Graham Swift's Waterland and Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea, this is also recommended for readers intrigued by the psychology behind shocking headlines. Show Less
In the telling of this coming- of-age novel, Durrow manages that remarkable achievement of telling a subtle, complex story that speaks in equal volumes to children and adults.
But although there’s a plot twist at the end, the novel isn’t driven by suspense. Instead, its energy comes from its vividly realized characters, from how they perceive one another. Durrow has a terrific ear for dialogue, an ability to summon a wealth of hopes and fears in a single line.
Durrow's novel is an auspicious debut, winner of the Bellwether Prize for socially conscious fiction. She has crafted a modern story about identity and survival, although some of the elements come together a little too neatly.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Cariola
I love novels that are told from different characters' points of view. In The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, the author gives us three alternating narrators. Twelve-year old Rachel has survived a terrible tragedy (well, she has survived physically, at least), and her life and her sense of self change
In Portland, young Rachel finds herself trying to understand not only the events leading up to her mother's tragic decision but her own racial identity--or the lack of it. "Light skinned-ed" with blue eyes, she is the daughter of an African-American soldier and a Danish woman (like Durrow herself). Never before has she had to answer the question, "What are you?" But living with her black grandmother and aunt leads others to answer the question for her, and she struggles with the fact that people expect her to choose to be labelled either black or white rather than to be herself, "a story."
Durrow's moving novel is finely written, spare and and at times poetic: images of birds, flying, and falling pervade the narrative, almost acting like a framework. The author merges her personal experiences with those of Rachel, making her character's thoughts and feelings all the more believable. While not a story that I want to say that I "enjoyed," I appreciated its artful telling, its fine characterizations, and its illumination of issues that I hadn't really thought about deeply before.
Show More
drastically when she is sent to be raised by her grandmother in Portland, Oregon. Jamie, the son of a junkie prostitute, has witnessed the tragedy and becomes obsessed with it. Unbeknownst to her, he visits Rachel in the hospital, where he befriends her father. The man tells him a story and makes him promise to tell it to Rachel one day--a promise that pushes Jamie to leave home and change his identity. The third voice, which we don't begin to hear until later in the novel, is that of Rachel's mother, Nella; we hear her only through her brief but painful diary entries.In Portland, young Rachel finds herself trying to understand not only the events leading up to her mother's tragic decision but her own racial identity--or the lack of it. "Light skinned-ed" with blue eyes, she is the daughter of an African-American soldier and a Danish woman (like Durrow herself). Never before has she had to answer the question, "What are you?" But living with her black grandmother and aunt leads others to answer the question for her, and she struggles with the fact that people expect her to choose to be labelled either black or white rather than to be herself, "a story."
Durrow's moving novel is finely written, spare and and at times poetic: images of birds, flying, and falling pervade the narrative, almost acting like a framework. The author merges her personal experiences with those of Rachel, making her character's thoughts and feelings all the more believable. While not a story that I want to say that I "enjoyed," I appreciated its artful telling, its fine characterizations, and its illumination of issues that I hadn't really thought about deeply before.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JackieBlem
It says a lot that this debut novel has already won The Bellwether Prize (an award for literary fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships). It says a lot that Durrow is being compared to Toni Morrison, Nella Larsen and the early
Show More
Langston Hughes. What can't be said until you read it for yourself is how deeply the reader will grow to care for Rachel, the lone survivor of her mother's attempted murder/suicide (her brother and baby sister were no so lucky) who has come to live with her grandmother in Portland in the early 1980s. Rachel is biracial, but her remaining extended family and the kids at school see her as black, something Rachel had never before thought about. This coming of age drama is woven into the mystery of what happened to push her mother over the edge and is told over the course of several years. It's full of characters whose whole lives were changed that day by the tragedy that day , and things come full circle in a deeply meaningful and satisfying way. I found it very difficult to put this book down. This is a powerful read and an amazing first novel by a new voice to watch in literary fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
Rachel lives with her grandmother because her mother, in a fit of depression, pushed her children and jumped off the roof of a nine-storey apartment complex. Rachel survived.
This is the sort of book that I don't necessarily like while I'm reading, but as it lingers in my mind and I turn over
As if her mother's suicide and her siblings' deaths weren't enough to deal with, Rachel is of mixed race, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black father. But the book doesn't read like an "issues" book, it's just Rachel's story of adolescence, growing up, finding her identity and understanding her past. It's very internal, almost a collection of impressions rather than a straightforward plot. A few sentences made me stop in my tracks because I had to think about them, rather than rush on to the end. The story itself is how Rachel describes the blues: storing up all sorts of sadness, but making something beautiful out of it.
This is the sort of book that I don't necessarily like while I'm reading, but as it lingers in my mind and I turn over
Show More
elements of it in my thoughts, I realize how powerful and beautiful it was. The structure is a little difficult. Rachel's narrates her parts of the story, while the experiences of Laronne (her mother's boss), Jamie (the boy who witnessed her brother falling), and others are interspersed in a story that covers about five years in non-chronological order. As if her mother's suicide and her siblings' deaths weren't enough to deal with, Rachel is of mixed race, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black father. But the book doesn't read like an "issues" book, it's just Rachel's story of adolescence, growing up, finding her identity and understanding her past. It's very internal, almost a collection of impressions rather than a straightforward plot. A few sentences made me stop in my tracks because I had to think about them, rather than rush on to the end. The story itself is how Rachel describes the blues: storing up all sorts of sadness, but making something beautiful out of it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member horomnizon
This book totally blew me away - it really is a new story. At first I thought, "not another book where each chapter is from a different character's point of view" because that seems to happen in more and more books that I'm reading - and often it isn't necessary. But Durrow makes it work. Not all
Rachel has lost her immediate family and goes to live with her grandmother who holds quite a grudge against Rachel's mother for what has happened. Rachel is also half black and half white, but never lived in a community where that mattered - until now, and she's not sure how she fits in.
The book deals with issues of race, growing up, alcoholism, death, yet I didn't find the book depressing or morose. Instead, even though Rachel often was unhappy, she moved forward knowing she had to deal with things in a certain way and accepting that at face value. She shows a resolute strength, even though it sometimes seems like she is just doing what is expected of her. All the characters who act as narrators are well developed and intriguing in their choices and actions.
There is certainly a clear point of view expressed about race and about the Black community in particular - this could be a great point for discussion. I think this would make a great book club selection! It would also make great college level reading - particularly in a multicultural or Black History class - anywhere social classes are discussed. (Some parts are probably too adult for high school - sex, drinking, drugs - or I would recommend it there also.)
Show More
the characters know the whole story - only their part of it and even in the end they don't all know the whole story, because it isn't necessary for them to. But the reader ends up with some additional information, if not understanding.Rachel has lost her immediate family and goes to live with her grandmother who holds quite a grudge against Rachel's mother for what has happened. Rachel is also half black and half white, but never lived in a community where that mattered - until now, and she's not sure how she fits in.
The book deals with issues of race, growing up, alcoholism, death, yet I didn't find the book depressing or morose. Instead, even though Rachel often was unhappy, she moved forward knowing she had to deal with things in a certain way and accepting that at face value. She shows a resolute strength, even though it sometimes seems like she is just doing what is expected of her. All the characters who act as narrators are well developed and intriguing in their choices and actions.
There is certainly a clear point of view expressed about race and about the Black community in particular - this could be a great point for discussion. I think this would make a great book club selection! It would also make great college level reading - particularly in a multicultural or Black History class - anywhere social classes are discussed. (Some parts are probably too adult for high school - sex, drinking, drugs - or I would recommend it there also.)
Show Less
LibraryThing member LovingLit
The story is very interesting, inventive, involved. It keeps you on your toes and you feel for the main gal, Rachel.....but....the story is told from multiple perspectives, and a lot of them are children. I find both these things a bit annoying.
I dont want to give to much away and am glad to have
I found the writing fairly simple, and not in a good way. It came over as too basic for the subject matter being explored (one of the hurdles of writing from the perspective of youngsters?). There is grief, racism, abandonment, violence and more. At times I found it all a bit gratuitous.
But (again), the story itself was compelling enough to carry it for me.
I dont want to give to much away and am glad to have
Show More
read the back after finishing the book, as I feel it gave too much away even there. But, Rachel is a girl who finds herself living with her grandmother under not very nice circumstances. We basically get these circumstances spelled out to us over the course of the book, and the ultimate answer is delivered late. It is not a thriller or a crime novel, but does a good job in keeping you guessing without feeling like you are being teased with tidbits. I found the writing fairly simple, and not in a good way. It came over as too basic for the subject matter being explored (one of the hurdles of writing from the perspective of youngsters?). There is grief, racism, abandonment, violence and more. At times I found it all a bit gratuitous.
But (again), the story itself was compelling enough to carry it for me.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bonnieconnelly
interesting structure, well written, unsatisfactory ending
LibraryThing member MarkMeg
Very powerful. A little confusing at some points as it goes from character to character. Rachel survives her mother's attempt to kill herself and her children, but does not save her brother Robbie. Her mother throws her brother and sister off the roof and Rachel attempts to jump and land to protect
Show More
her brother. She survives and they don't. Rachel is a blue eyed mulatto and the stress of her life continues on. Show Less
LibraryThing member alexann
A young would-be birdwatcher sees an egret fly past the window of his apartment building. When he runs outside, he sees that it wasn't a bird at all, but a woman and her three children who had tried, vainly, to fly off the building's roof. One of those children survived--Rachel's fall was broken by
Show More
the crumpled bodies of her mother and siblings. This is Rachel's story. Her mother was Danish; her father African-American. Rachel, both white and black, had never been away from her mother--and now suddenly finds herself in her father's black community in Oregon. This is a story of searching for identity--is Rachel black or white; can she be both? There are many big ideas touched upon here--race, altruism, family, alcoholism, --perhaps too many ideas to fit in one not-so-long book. Told from the point of views of several of the characters (including the diary of the doomed mother), the stories never really hold together as a novel. There are too many coincidences and chance meetings for it to ring true. Also, perhaps too many characters to track in a book this brief. It seems that the author overreached herself, and just tried to do too much.I Show Less
LibraryThing member snat
It's easy to see why there's so much fuss over this novel. Much as Nella Larsen did in her exemplary novel Passing and the novel Quicksand, Heidi Durrow explores both interracial and intraracial racism in a compelling and unique way. Throughout the novel, there are several nods to Larsen (the
Set in the 1980's, the novel primarily follows the story of Rachel Morse, the only survivor of a tragic accident that claimed her mother, her brother, and her sister. Her father, who serves in the military, is too grief-stricken to take care of her and instead sends her to live with her grandmother in Portland, Oregon. Feeling abandoned and alone, Rachel creates a new identity for herself and tries to cope with her increasing alienation. Having grown up in the more racially tolerant Europe, the biracial Rachel struggles with the sudden realization that she is black--but not black enough. She's taunted for her light skin, her soft hair, and her startling light blue eyes. Her black peers think she's an "Oreo," talking and behaving as if she were white. Her grandmother tries to reshape Rachel's past, obliterating any positive memories she may have of her white mother. As Rachel grows up, she struggles to find acceptance and belonging (looking, as most teenage girls do, in all of the wrong places), confronts being seen as a beautiful object and an exotic curiosity by the men in her life, hopes for a future that may hold more than a secretarial job and a three bedroom house, and unearths the truth about what happened on the day that she and her family fell from the sky.
The novel is not for readers who like linear narrative. Instead, it's fragmented into chapters that are told from the varying perspectives of Rachel, Jamie (a boy who witnessed the tragedy and who may be the only remaining link between Rachel and her father), Nella (Rachel's Danish mother who doesn't know how to cope with living in a society that judges her children by their skin color), Roger (Rachel's father), and Laronne (Nella's employer who is left to clean up what's left of the family's belongings and to try to piece together the reasons why the family fell apart). Each character is given a distinct voice and backstory that somehow intersects with Rachel; I could easily believe them to be real people. Because the novel moves from past to present and between these points of view, there are no quick and easy answers and reading often feels like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle. However, the end result is a realistic portrayal of how tragedy can destroy a life, but that the resilient can eventually prevail.
Show More
mother named Nella, the protagonist who is half black and half Danish, the exploration of racial tensions in America when compared with the more colorblind European societies, the epigraph taken from Passing). However, while it's clear that Durrow was inspired by Larsen, there's never any doubt that this novel is Durrow's own. Set in the 1980's, the novel primarily follows the story of Rachel Morse, the only survivor of a tragic accident that claimed her mother, her brother, and her sister. Her father, who serves in the military, is too grief-stricken to take care of her and instead sends her to live with her grandmother in Portland, Oregon. Feeling abandoned and alone, Rachel creates a new identity for herself and tries to cope with her increasing alienation. Having grown up in the more racially tolerant Europe, the biracial Rachel struggles with the sudden realization that she is black--but not black enough. She's taunted for her light skin, her soft hair, and her startling light blue eyes. Her black peers think she's an "Oreo," talking and behaving as if she were white. Her grandmother tries to reshape Rachel's past, obliterating any positive memories she may have of her white mother. As Rachel grows up, she struggles to find acceptance and belonging (looking, as most teenage girls do, in all of the wrong places), confronts being seen as a beautiful object and an exotic curiosity by the men in her life, hopes for a future that may hold more than a secretarial job and a three bedroom house, and unearths the truth about what happened on the day that she and her family fell from the sky.
The novel is not for readers who like linear narrative. Instead, it's fragmented into chapters that are told from the varying perspectives of Rachel, Jamie (a boy who witnessed the tragedy and who may be the only remaining link between Rachel and her father), Nella (Rachel's Danish mother who doesn't know how to cope with living in a society that judges her children by their skin color), Roger (Rachel's father), and Laronne (Nella's employer who is left to clean up what's left of the family's belongings and to try to piece together the reasons why the family fell apart). Each character is given a distinct voice and backstory that somehow intersects with Rachel; I could easily believe them to be real people. Because the novel moves from past to present and between these points of view, there are no quick and easy answers and reading often feels like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle. However, the end result is a realistic portrayal of how tragedy can destroy a life, but that the resilient can eventually prevail.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Sararush
Rachel a bi-racial Danish and Black, light skinned with blue eyes black girl is delivered to her black grandmother after her mother, brother and baby sister fall off the roof of their apartment building. Her new neighborhood is surrounded with mostly black children and as far from home as she could
The mystery at the center of the story is slowly unraveled as the book shifts amongst narrators, perspective and time. Instead of confusing or irritating its audience, the novel's structure only adds to its power. This sad and compelling plot is further credited by a strinkingly unique voice.
The Girl who Fell from the Sky is sure to be one of the best books of 2010.
Show More
end up. Rachel struggles to fit in with her new family and piece together her shattered life. Her coming of age story is contrasted with stories from some of those impacted by the tragedy. Through Rachel's memories and stories from her distant father, her mother, her mother's employer, and a young boy who witnessed the tragedy, we slowly piece together what happened on the roof as well as more family secrets that contributed to it. We also see how this event ultimately shapes Rachel's life. The mystery at the center of the story is slowly unraveled as the book shifts amongst narrators, perspective and time. Instead of confusing or irritating its audience, the novel's structure only adds to its power. This sad and compelling plot is further credited by a strinkingly unique voice.
The Girl who Fell from the Sky is sure to be one of the best books of 2010.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
It's interesting to me that I started reading this book at a time in my life when I really needed a book with this message. Unfortunately, although it looked promising, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky just didn't deliver for me.
I wanted to get the message, but a lot of the book seemed trite and like
There were so many messages being attempted. Racial tension, mental disorders, post-traumatic stress in children were just a few that stood out to me. As the story moved from person to person to get their points of view I felt like I was being whipped back and forth and it was hard to follow the actual story. Was the author intending a bit of mystery by keeping one of the most important bits of information from us? Because in a book like this - there really doesn't need to be mystery. Let us know from the outset what we're dealing with or it just seems overwhelming.
This is another of those instances where awards were given and I'm left feeling as if maybe I'm just not smart enough to "get it." I guess I'll learn to live with that and file this one away. Maybe I'll "get it" more as time passes and I reflect back on it.
I wanted to get the message, but a lot of the book seemed trite and like
Show More
it was trying too hard. I understand from researching a little bit that this book stems from the real-life background of the author, Heidi Durrow, who is the daughter of a Danish immigrant and an African-American Military man. I don't mean to discredit her experiences and how she perceived things - I'm speaking merely from a readers point of view. The story was just too confusing.There were so many messages being attempted. Racial tension, mental disorders, post-traumatic stress in children were just a few that stood out to me. As the story moved from person to person to get their points of view I felt like I was being whipped back and forth and it was hard to follow the actual story. Was the author intending a bit of mystery by keeping one of the most important bits of information from us? Because in a book like this - there really doesn't need to be mystery. Let us know from the outset what we're dealing with or it just seems overwhelming.
This is another of those instances where awards were given and I'm left feeling as if maybe I'm just not smart enough to "get it." I guess I'll learn to live with that and file this one away. Maybe I'll "get it" more as time passes and I reflect back on it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rmckeown
Some of the best fiction published these days comes from smaller presses. Although Algonquin Press of Chapel Hill is a subsidiary of Workman Publishing, it still seems like a small press to me. Their cutting edge fiction, with its thrills and surprises, is most definitely difficult to put down.
Heidi W. Durrow has continued the Algonquin tradition of fine fiction with a mesmerizing story, dream-like at times and made from equal parts of recollection and repression of horrific events. She has created a wonderful cast of interesting characters. Each chapter is like a piece in the puzzle. Slowly, the reader makes the outline of the picture, and bit by bit, fills in all the blank spaces.
This novel won the Bellwether Prize. Barbara Kingsolver, who founded the Bellwether Prize for the fiction in support of social change, writes on the website, “Fiction has a unique capacity to bring difficult issues to a broad readership on a personal level, creating empathy in a reader’s heart for the theoretical stranger. Its capacity for invoking moral and social responsibility is enormous. Throughout history, every movement toward a more peaceful and humane world has begun with those who imagined the possibilities. The Bellwether Prize seeks to support the imagination of humane possibilities.” Durrow richly deserves The Bellwether Prize.
Rachel’s mother, Mor, is a blue-eyed, blonde Danish woman, who met and married her father, Roger, a Black American soldier while he was stationed in Germany. Shortly after a divorce, Mor’s death occurs, and Rachel finds herself caught between two worlds. She leaves Chicago to live with her paternal Grandmother, Doris, who wrenches Rachel from the white world of Mor into a traditional African-American world.
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky revolves around Rachel’s attempt to adjust to the changes in her life. She runs into conflicts everywhere – black girls tease her because of her blue eyes; white children tease her because of her hair. But she has friends, especially Brick, who witnessed the “accident” which took Mor’s life. He guards this secret until he can tell Rachel. His story – along with Rachel’s repressed memories – finish the tapestry of this tragic tale.
Brick travels across the country to find Rachel. He finally meets up with her in Portland, Oregon, and they become friends before she knows his real identity and what he knows. Durrow writes,
"For weeks Brick wondered how to approach Rachel – how to tell the story he’d promised to tell. He often joined her for lunch with Jesse. They would each get a slice of pizza or a sandwich at the deli and then eat in Pioneer Courthouse Square watching people go by.
Rachel never talked about herself. When Brick asked her where she lived in Chicago, she said she couldn’t remember. The way she shut off – her eyes went blank; her voice went low – he knew Chicago wasn’t a memory she visited often. He would have to find the right moment to tell her the story he’d promised Roger he’d share." (211)
This first novel is so stunning, I can’t wait for Durrow’s next work. Who said books and the novel are dead? As long as Algonquin Press continues to discover new writers and turn out fiction of this quality, readers will have plenty to occupy themselves during those quiet moments when curling up with a book is the only remedy for what ails a body and a mind. Five stars
--Jim, 9/7/10
Show More
Amazing arrays of interesting characters, together with masterful prose, have become hallmarks of Algonquin.Heidi W. Durrow has continued the Algonquin tradition of fine fiction with a mesmerizing story, dream-like at times and made from equal parts of recollection and repression of horrific events. She has created a wonderful cast of interesting characters. Each chapter is like a piece in the puzzle. Slowly, the reader makes the outline of the picture, and bit by bit, fills in all the blank spaces.
This novel won the Bellwether Prize. Barbara Kingsolver, who founded the Bellwether Prize for the fiction in support of social change, writes on the website, “Fiction has a unique capacity to bring difficult issues to a broad readership on a personal level, creating empathy in a reader’s heart for the theoretical stranger. Its capacity for invoking moral and social responsibility is enormous. Throughout history, every movement toward a more peaceful and humane world has begun with those who imagined the possibilities. The Bellwether Prize seeks to support the imagination of humane possibilities.” Durrow richly deserves The Bellwether Prize.
Rachel’s mother, Mor, is a blue-eyed, blonde Danish woman, who met and married her father, Roger, a Black American soldier while he was stationed in Germany. Shortly after a divorce, Mor’s death occurs, and Rachel finds herself caught between two worlds. She leaves Chicago to live with her paternal Grandmother, Doris, who wrenches Rachel from the white world of Mor into a traditional African-American world.
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky revolves around Rachel’s attempt to adjust to the changes in her life. She runs into conflicts everywhere – black girls tease her because of her blue eyes; white children tease her because of her hair. But she has friends, especially Brick, who witnessed the “accident” which took Mor’s life. He guards this secret until he can tell Rachel. His story – along with Rachel’s repressed memories – finish the tapestry of this tragic tale.
Brick travels across the country to find Rachel. He finally meets up with her in Portland, Oregon, and they become friends before she knows his real identity and what he knows. Durrow writes,
"For weeks Brick wondered how to approach Rachel – how to tell the story he’d promised to tell. He often joined her for lunch with Jesse. They would each get a slice of pizza or a sandwich at the deli and then eat in Pioneer Courthouse Square watching people go by.
Rachel never talked about herself. When Brick asked her where she lived in Chicago, she said she couldn’t remember. The way she shut off – her eyes went blank; her voice went low – he knew Chicago wasn’t a memory she visited often. He would have to find the right moment to tell her the story he’d promised Roger he’d share." (211)
This first novel is so stunning, I can’t wait for Durrow’s next work. Who said books and the novel are dead? As long as Algonquin Press continues to discover new writers and turn out fiction of this quality, readers will have plenty to occupy themselves during those quiet moments when curling up with a book is the only remedy for what ails a body and a mind. Five stars
--Jim, 9/7/10
Show Less
LibraryThing member thewindowseatreader
The main character, Rachel, is the daughter of a Danish woman and a black GI giving her unique physical characteristics (blue eyes, light brown skin, light frizzy hair). The majority of this book takes place as Rachel lives with her grandmother (her Dad's mother) in Portland, Oregon during the 70's
My synopsis makes this book sound rather dull, but I'm afraid that's how I perceived it as a whole. For me, there was a huge disconnect between characters, events taking place in their lives, and me - the reader. The characters were not portrayed in a way that made me care for them; there was no emotional link. I picked this book because of the unique perspective it provided on racial tension and being a child of parents with different races, but I did not particularly enjoy the way that this tension was addressed. Maybe, this is because of the realistic portrayal; but, I feel as if it was because I was not fully aquainted with the characters. Heidi Durrow, the author, was a child of a Danish mother and black father, so I don't dare argue with her descriptions of the present racial tension. I just did not become engrossed in what could have been a heart-wrenching novel.
Recommendation: Check out other reviews before deciding whether this is for you or not. For me, it missed the mark on character development and portrayal of emotions. Maybe you will see it differently!
Show More
and 80's (just a guess, no exact date is given that I recall). A great tragedy occurs at the beginning of the book, and it is this event that leaves Rachel to spend the remainder of her childhood with her strict grandmother.My synopsis makes this book sound rather dull, but I'm afraid that's how I perceived it as a whole. For me, there was a huge disconnect between characters, events taking place in their lives, and me - the reader. The characters were not portrayed in a way that made me care for them; there was no emotional link. I picked this book because of the unique perspective it provided on racial tension and being a child of parents with different races, but I did not particularly enjoy the way that this tension was addressed. Maybe, this is because of the realistic portrayal; but, I feel as if it was because I was not fully aquainted with the characters. Heidi Durrow, the author, was a child of a Danish mother and black father, so I don't dare argue with her descriptions of the present racial tension. I just did not become engrossed in what could have been a heart-wrenching novel.
Recommendation: Check out other reviews before deciding whether this is for you or not. For me, it missed the mark on character development and portrayal of emotions. Maybe you will see it differently!
Show Less
LibraryThing member spincerely
This is another great "The Girl Who" book though completely different from the Millennium Series. This would be a great book club selection.
LibraryThing member whitreidtan
The winner of the Bellwether Prize for fiction, this novel is a gripping look at identity, racism, class structure, and fitting in. Rachel is the daughter of a Danish woman and an African-American GI. After moving to the US, the family's mixed racial heritage comes into play in ways that it never
Rachel narrates the majority of the book as she searches for her identity as a bi-racial girl and then young woman but others contribute to the narrative too: her late mother's employer, her father, the young boy who witnessed the family's flight through the sky, and even her late mother through the medium of her diary. Offering secondary characters the chance to narrate allows Rachel's story a more complete telling and a fullness that her own single point of view would not have contributed even as she reveals more than perhaps even she understands, navigating life and coming to be comfortable in her own skin, whichever color she thinks that skin is.
The writing style leaves the reader thinking that something is being held back, something just under the surface, necessary to the story. This elusiveness threads through the characterization as well, as if the characters aren't completely revealed somehow. The unconventionality of the prose is not reflected in the story itself though as the secrets haunting Rachel's family come to light. The ending is fairly abrupt and certainly doesn't offer closure but it reflects reality so although it might feel a bit unsatisfactory to a reader, it is not unacceptable. While there are some problems with the novel, on the whole it is a good tale and one that should appeal to readers and book clubs interested in social issues and coming of age novels.
Show More
did before. For Mor, Rachel's Danish mother, life in the US is incredibly tough and ultimately she makes the unfathomable decision to lead her children to the roof of their apartment building in order to jump. Rachel is the sole survivor of this terrible tragedy and after her recovery, she moves from Chicago to Portland, OR to live with her paternal grandmother, in a community that presses her to choose to be either black or white but not both.Rachel narrates the majority of the book as she searches for her identity as a bi-racial girl and then young woman but others contribute to the narrative too: her late mother's employer, her father, the young boy who witnessed the family's flight through the sky, and even her late mother through the medium of her diary. Offering secondary characters the chance to narrate allows Rachel's story a more complete telling and a fullness that her own single point of view would not have contributed even as she reveals more than perhaps even she understands, navigating life and coming to be comfortable in her own skin, whichever color she thinks that skin is.
The writing style leaves the reader thinking that something is being held back, something just under the surface, necessary to the story. This elusiveness threads through the characterization as well, as if the characters aren't completely revealed somehow. The unconventionality of the prose is not reflected in the story itself though as the secrets haunting Rachel's family come to light. The ending is fairly abrupt and certainly doesn't offer closure but it reflects reality so although it might feel a bit unsatisfactory to a reader, it is not unacceptable. While there are some problems with the novel, on the whole it is a good tale and one that should appeal to readers and book clubs interested in social issues and coming of age novels.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Rachel was the only survivor when she, her mother and her siblings fell nine stories from the roof of their building in Chicago. Moving in with her grandmother, she needs to deal with her family history, her missing father, her mixed race heritage, as well as growing up and making a life.
LibraryThing member mochap
devastating and heartbreaking story of a girl who survived an unthinkable tragedy and lived to figure out who she is
LibraryThing member ark76
This book's strength is its characters. Just as the main character discovers that everyone isn't as they seem, so too the reader will discover that each character is complex, with secrets and layers to discover all the way until the end. The story is of a young bi-racial girl whose early life in
Show More
Europe sheltered her from the bigotry and reality of being black in the US South. She faces this reality much more harshly than necessary due to the lack of understanding of her newly discovered black grandmother, who takes her in after her mother dies. Her grandmother only considers her in the context of her blackness (how to take care of her hair, how she should behave..) and she only thinks of herself as like her white mother. When her two halves collide, she struggles to come to terms with who she is and which world she belongs in. Show Less
LibraryThing member LiterateHousewife
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky tells the story of Rachel Morse, the sole survivor of her Danish mother's maternal psychosis that ended in the deaths of her mother and her siblings. She is sent to live with her African American grandmother and aunt. While they love her, her grandmother especially is
This is a wonderful novel, but I have absolutely no idea how to review it. It tells the story of Rachel and her mother from various viewpoints, helping to paint a more complete picture. I liked how Rachel's mom lived on through her subtlety and most significantly through her AA slogans. Rachel's life isn't the only one changed forever as a result of that afternoon at the top of their Chicago high rise. Brick, a child who witnessed Rachel's brother fall from the sky, was also a victim of sorts. Both are survivors, though. That's what makes this book so powerful.
My Final Thoughts
I thought this novel was an interesting character study that was both honest and respectful of person. It brings to light the plight of mothers who are mentally ill, bi-racial children, learning to make adult choices, and growing up despite overwhelming odds. I may not be able to articulate just why very well, but I do recommend The Girl Who Fell From the Sky for these reasons and more. It is well deserving of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction.
Show More
wary of her mixed ethnicity and any influence Rachel's mother's mental illness may have on her. Growing up with the weight of her mother's actions and her mixed heritage is challenging. Is she responsible for the sins of her mother? How can she find her way to herself when there is no one else out there like her?This is a wonderful novel, but I have absolutely no idea how to review it. It tells the story of Rachel and her mother from various viewpoints, helping to paint a more complete picture. I liked how Rachel's mom lived on through her subtlety and most significantly through her AA slogans. Rachel's life isn't the only one changed forever as a result of that afternoon at the top of their Chicago high rise. Brick, a child who witnessed Rachel's brother fall from the sky, was also a victim of sorts. Both are survivors, though. That's what makes this book so powerful.
My Final Thoughts
I thought this novel was an interesting character study that was both honest and respectful of person. It brings to light the plight of mothers who are mentally ill, bi-racial children, learning to make adult choices, and growing up despite overwhelming odds. I may not be able to articulate just why very well, but I do recommend The Girl Who Fell From the Sky for these reasons and more. It is well deserving of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SFCC
Durrow, Heidi W. his perfect jewel of a novel mirrors the real life of the author, Heidi Durrow, who grew up biracial in the early 80's in Portland, Oregon.
LibraryThing member rebeccaslibrary
I loved this story. The bi-racial element, the inter-generational mismatch, the tension created by the uncertainty about whether or not the family jumped or was pushed, the multiple first person perspectives... It was all good.
LibraryThing member fig2
This perfect jewel of a novel mirrors the real life of the author, Heidi Durrow, who grew up biracial in the early 80's in Portland, Oregon. After an accident claims her family, Rachel is sent to live with her grandmother in a predominantly black neighborhood. Rachel's confusion and frustration is
Show More
palpable as she navigates through a new culture and new social norms; both of which she is woefully unaware. Heartbreaking in its honesty, stunning in its realism, pointed in its social commentary, and flat-out gorgeous in its prose, this novel is an exquisite illustration of the beauty and ugliness of the human condition. Show Less
LibraryThing member ScrapEtta
This book was great! Yes, it is told from a few different perspectives, but that might be why I liked it so much. I liked knowing what Rachel (the main character) was thinking, and how the other characters tied in with her.
LibraryThing member CatieN
The story of Rachel, daughter of a black GI father and a Danish mother, and her family begins with a bizarre tragedy. Don't be put off by the quick reveal of that event, though, because the rest of the book is a slow unfolding of the "why" and "how" from the viewpoint of a number of varied
Show More
characters in the book. The different perspectives of those characters adds a richness to the story, and the mystery of "why" isn't solved until the very end of the book. The author deals with themes of race, alcoholism, forgiveness, among others, which brings up my only negative comment about the book. Too many issues means some of them are not dealt with thoroughly enough to satisfy the reader. Overall, though, an original story and a good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member SignoraEdie
Bi-racial coming of age story coupled with a very haunting past memory. Touching!
Awards
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2011)
VCU Cabell First Novelist Award (Winner — Finalist — 2011)
PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction (Winner — 2008)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010
Physical description
256 p.; 8.5 inches
ISBN
1565126807 / 9781565126800