Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Light from a Distant Star

3.38 of 5 stars 3.38 · rating details · 508 ratings · 131 reviews

Light from a Distant Star is a gripping coming-of-age story with a brutal murder at its heart and a heroine as unforgettable as Harper Lee’s "Scout."

It is early summer and Nellie Peck is on the cusp of adolescence – gangly, awkward, full of questions, but keenly observant and wiser than many of the adults in her life. The person she most admires is her father, Benjamin, a...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Crown (first published September 1st 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own M... by Catherynne M. Valente

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

I Picked It Up Because of the Title

361st out of 580 books — 340 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,483)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 21, 2012 Veronica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There were times when I felt the author had rushed through writing/editing the book. For example, on pg 47, after Max helped Dolly jump her car, Morris neglected to remember to write about Dolly yanking the jumper cables off or Max taking his time to remove them. Further more, Morris built up the scene so much that I felt more should come of it. If it did, I missed it. Another example: "Acrid smoke from the smoldering tires enveloped the downtown streets for days until a twelve hour torrential d...more There were times when I felt the author had rushed through writing/editing the book. For example, on pg 47, after Max helped Dolly jump her car, Morris neglected to remember to write about Dolly yanking the jumper cables off or Max taking his time to remove them. Further more, Morris built up the scene so much that I felt more should come of it. If it did, I missed it. Another example: "Acrid smoke from the smoldering tires enveloped the downtown streets for days until a twelve hour torrential downpour doused the last of the fire". (pg 50) How is it that the fire department didn't come to keep the town from burning down? The junkyard was in the middle of the town, so they couldn't possibly forget that little factoid. Although I didn't keep complete notes throughout the book to see what questions were not answered, another one which had a large part in the story was Ruth and her birth father's relationship and what Ruth was going to do about the letters.

The main character, Nellie, seems to be more than one person. At times very young and naive and others old and wise. Many of the other characters did not feel real. Sometimes, Morris has the teenage girl spot-on: "Grinning, Nellie shot out of the bathroom, then sat in the front hall, waiting to be summoned" - what kid does not want attention? Really that was a lot of the conflict in the book, that her parents wouldn't pay any attention to her. "Nellie was almost enjoying the commotion... Yes, Nellie knew, compared to those two, she was a wonderful, loving child." (79). It was at these times that I felt that I could connect Nellie with my inner 13 year old and the ways that I felt when I was younger. Morris makes me lose some of that connection though when, near the end, she has Nellie use the word "whom". I didn't know how to use the word until I was about late 14. I didn't even learn it in school until college. I was an avid reader, like Nellie, but that just wouldn't be something that you correct others on at the age of 13! "They do? Really? To whom? she wanted to scream." (pg 295).

"Life was changing all around Nellie, and no one was doing anything about it".pg 48 How could Nellie think this just beacuse her friend she didn't even like went to a different camp than the one she wanted, her brother had a small run in with some bad kids (and then didn't hang out with them anymore), and her parents were noticably more low on cash than they had been in previous years. She also knew her parents were doing what they could to stay afloat - a.k.a. her father writing a book, her mom working, and her parents renting a room in the house and selling the family store. The main reason Nellie knows most of this is because she is a very nosy kid. She listens with her ear pushed up to the bathroom wall or sitting on the stairs while her parents are repriminding her older sister Ruth.

I can admit that there were times when the story was intriguing and reels the reader in, but then the author tries to make Nellie sound sophisticated, smart, profound, insightful, etc and I get lost and agitated. It was about a quarter of the way in before I didn't feel like I constantly wanted to put the book down. It wasn't as much of a "I need to just finish this book so I can rate it" as a "I would kinda, sorta like to see what happens".

I really don't see where the name of the novel comes in to play. I had signed up for the book because I thought it was going to be something more... fantastical. Peter Pan like.
In addition to what others have said about the book, the only connection I see between Nellie and Scout (from To Kill a Mockingbird) is that there was a trial in the story and a murder.

Notice: I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Mar 12, 2013 Sophia Musgrave rated it 4 of 5 stars

This author does a great job of getting into the mindset of her characters, such amazing writing, very descriptive and it does a wonderful job of creating this setting. She makes me remember what it was like to be a young teen and not understand everything around you, be at the mercy of the adults in your world who make all the rules. She shows how parents can be loving but due to life circumstances are also still human with frailties and can mess up sometimes. I loved the main character, Nellie...more

like · see review

Dec 07, 2012 RNOCEAN rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have read every book that Mary McGarry Morris has written and will continue to do so, however, I can only give this book 3 stars out of 5. The parents in this book taught and raised Nellie to have integrity, tell the truth and do what is right. When she wants to do just that, no one will believe her. The father that she adored was a very weak man and I thought for the most part, ineffective as a parent. The mother seems to shoulder the weight of the whole family on her shoulders because of a w...more

like · see review

Sep 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Light from a Distant Star

by: Mary McGarry Morris

5 Stars

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780307451880
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication date: 7/17/2012
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 401,440
Product dimensions: 5.30 (w) x 7.86 (h) x 0.73 (d)

Summary: Nellie is in charge of taking care of her younger brother Henry for the summer. The adults are just too busy. Her mother is working as much as she can at the salon, and when she is home, she is always complaining about the lack of money that they have. H...more Light from a Distant Star

by: Mary McGarry Morris

5 Stars

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780307451880
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication date: 7/17/2012
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 401,440
Product dimensions: 5.30 (w) x 7.86 (h) x 0.73 (d)

Summary: Nellie is in charge of taking care of her younger brother Henry for the summer. The adults are just too busy. Her mother is working as much as she can at the salon, and when she is home, she is always complaining about the lack of money that they have. Her father owns the family hardware store, but really spends all of his time working on a history of the city. In order to help with finances, the apartment in the basement is rented out to a young erotic dancer. This sets Nellie off on an adventure that has several ups and downs. To begin with, Nellie is fascinated with this dancer. She loves to eaves drop on her by listening in through the walls. Dolly, the dancer, then becomes a little more part of the family as she talks to Nellie’s older sister and mother. In the meantime, Max has started working with Nellie’s grandfather. Max is another fascination for Nellie. She likes talking to him. He seems to be the only adult that treats her as more than just a little kid. The problem is, she can tell that Max is interested in Dolly, but several men seem to be interested in her. She’s also seen Mr. Cooper, a local businessman, hanging around Dolly. She’s overheard conversations with Dolly on the phone with a man she seems to be dating. It’s all rather unclear. Then, something horrible happens! There is a murder and Nellie may be the only one that knows what really happened. This spirals Nellie into a moral dilemma. She tells one person the truth to what she believes it to be, but is told that she may be wrong. Nellie has to deal with the trial and attempting to figure out what is right and what is wrong. Who knows if she may be ruining one persons life to save someone who could be guilty.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. The murder doesn’t happen until about half way through the book, but I could have done without that and the aftermath. I loved just following Nellie around as she lived her daily life through the summer. Her interactions with all that are around her and her astute observations are fun to be a part of. I love the lazy summer stories that just allow you to delve into the characters. Once the murder happens, things spiral around that and her attempts to hold things in or tell them out. I didn’t enjoy the last half of the novel as much as the first. I felt like I lost some of my connection with Nellie. It is realistic for a little girl to be obsessed with one particular topic. It is also frustrating when people don’t seem to believe her when she shares information. Towards the end of the novel, I felt bad that we have lost the innocent and observant child from the beginning; however, I appreciated Nellie’s character arc and found overall the book to be a great read.
(less)

like · see review

Aug 13, 2012 Jean V. Naggar Literary rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Reminiscent of William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury...The story is a representation of the age-old metaphor of the butterfly flapping its wings. Everything in Nellie’s world seems connected; every action has a reaction, often of the most unexpected variety. While the novel is a coming of age story, it demonstrates that none of us is ever truly grown up...A page-turner...The reader can feel Nellie’s stress and shares her burden of truth and insight...When the dust settles, the characters an...more “Reminiscent of William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury...The story is a representation of the age-old metaphor of the butterfly flapping its wings. Everything in Nellie’s world seems connected; every action has a reaction, often of the most unexpected variety. While the novel is a coming of age story, it demonstrates that none of us is ever truly grown up...A page-turner...The reader can feel Nellie’s stress and shares her burden of truth and insight...When the dust settles, the characters and the reader realize that sometimes our gut knows more than we give it credit for.” --The Washington Independent Review of Books

“Morris' finely crafted prose—simple and lyrical—captures perfectly that sliver of pre-adolescence when the very world around us seems to shudder and shift, when the adults we admire suddenly reveal their flaws, and everything we treasure seems to be slipping away...Recalls the central thread of To Kill a Mockingbird ...Morris...nimbly laces her latest novel with a growing sense of dread.” --The Associated Press and picked up by newspapers across the US

“It’s impossible to set aside Light from a Distant Star once you begin...Marvelously written...[Nellie's] journey makes for a riveting read... Engrossing.” --The Washington Missourian

“Morris offers a timeless and timely look at small town life, as seen by wise, verbose...thirteen-year-old heroine Nellie Peck...Morris' page-turner, (which evokes To Kill a Mockingbird) will...send new readers searching for her earlier titles.” --Publishers Weekly

“Character-driven...engaging...Morris skillfully traces Nellie’s gradual realization that reputations are not always what they seem, and that the truth must come out no matter the cost.” --Booklist

“Rich, complex...Morris has created another fascinating, dark, page-turner of a novel.” --San Francisco Book Review

“Author Mary McGarry Morris offers a compelling look at Nellie's dilemma and the murky conflict that surrounds it.” --The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star

“As evidenced by her many novels, from National Book Award nominee Vanished to Oprah pick Songs in Ordinary Time, Morris excels at family dramas with dark and tingly psychological twists.” --Library Journal, featured pick

“Mary McGarry Morris doesn't so much tell a story as spin a delicate and powerful web. With her elegant prose, beautifully drawn characters, and perfect pitch dialogue, she lured me in. And with her intense and gripping plot, she had me ensnared. I was in love with the sensitive, smart and plucky Nellie from the very first moment I met her and I'll be thinking of her for a good long time. Light from a Distant Star is a wonderful, powerful novel not to be missed.” --Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Fragile(less)

like · see review

Feb 28, 2012 Bonnie Brody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nellie Peck is thirteen years old going on forty. She is wise, intelligent and impulsive. Despite her precociousness, however, she is still a child. She lives with her parents and two siblings, Ruth and Henry. Ruth is a half-sibling from a relationship that her mother had in high school. The Pecks are struggling financially. Sandy, Nellie's mother, works as a hair dresser and Benjamin, Nellie's father, owns a hardware store that is slowly going under. Benjamin's passion is his writing - he is wr...more Nellie Peck is thirteen years old going on forty. She is wise, intelligent and impulsive. Despite her precociousness, however, she is still a child. She lives with her parents and two siblings, Ruth and Henry. Ruth is a half-sibling from a relationship that her mother had in high school. The Pecks are struggling financially. Sandy, Nellie's mother, works as a hair dresser and Benjamin, Nellie's father, owns a hardware store that is slowly going under. Benjamin's passion is his writing - he is writing a tome about the history of their town, Springvale. His goal is to get it self-published so that it can be read by a wide audience.

To enhance their income, the Pecks rent out an apartment attached to their home. Nellie loves to listen in to conversations in the apartment through the bathroom wall. Their latest tenant is Dolly Bedalia, an exotic dancer, aka a stripper. Nellie likes her and feels that Dolly actually listens to her. Henry has built a treehouse and from the treehouse Nellie and Henry can see into their neighbor's living room and also view the comings and goings from Dolly's apartment.

Ruth is obsessed with finding her real father who moved to Australia during high school. She has written multiple letters to him. When a return letter finally comes, Nellie absconds with it and hides it from Ruth which sets off a chain of events that leads to Nellie feeling like an outcast from her family.

Nellie is in that in-between age, not yet in adolescence but on the cusp of it. A wild child, Bucky Saltonstall, likes Nellie and tries to involve her in his illegal and wild schemes. One of them is stealing bicycles and then selling them. Bucky is also a bully and can turn on anyone at the drop of a hat. He is living with his grandparents because his parents handle him. can't

Charlie is Nellie's grandfather. He is the proprietor of the local junkyard. He is cold and mean, not at all what one thinks of as grandfatherly. Recently, he hired a helper named Max Devaney. Max has a history that includes being in jail in the past and he is also a registered sex offender for having sex with an underaged girl when he was a young man. He has a dog named Boone. Nellie really likes him and his dog. She dreams of going fishing with Charlie and Max but they only invite her along one time. Nellie considers Max to be a hero. There was an instance when Henry was attacked by a neighbor's dog and Max came to the rescue, killing the offending dog violently. Henry ended up with a considerable number of stitches in his arm.

Jessica Cooper is Nellie's annoying friend. She pursues Nellie like white on snow. Nellie does not like her because Jessica has very weird thoughts about killing people, hating her mother, and is generally mean and unfeeling. She calls Nellie all the time and Nellie doesn't know how to get her off her back.

So far, the above events are just the daily workings of a small town and a small town girl. However, Dolly gets murdered and the only one there, the only witness to who might be the murderer, is Nellie. She was in the basement with Max while Max was fixing the hot water tank and they needed to get into Dolly's apartment. The door of the apartment was unlocked and when they get in, Dolly is dead. Nellie saw another man coming out of Dolly's apartment but has said nothing about it so Max is tried for the murder. Nellie is in a real fix - she feels like she can't tell anyone about who she saw but she doesn't want Max to go to jail for a murder she doesn't believe he committed. Nellie also remembers hearing some thumps and bumps coming from the apartment earlier that same afternoon.

Most of the novel focuses on Nellie's dilemmas about the murder, her family and growing up. She is the primary witness at the trial and she often thinks about Mark Twain's quote that moral courage is more important than physical courage. Will Nellie have the moral courage to speak up? If so, what will be the consequences to those involved?

Light From A Distant Star is not one of Mary McGarry Morris's stronger novels. I'm a real fan of hers and have read everything she's written. I especially love Vanished and Fiona Range, This novel includes some of the same types of characters for which she is known - the unlikable outcasts that just can't seem to make it in the regular ways of life. However, in her previous books, the characters were so well-executed and brought to life that the reader feels empathy for them. I felt little or no empathy for the characters in this book. They were fleshed out, but not to the point where I cared all that much. The writing is excellent, just what I'd expect from Morris, but ultimately, it does not come up to her best work.
(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jul 31, 2011 Louise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature-fiction

Story Description:

Light from a Distant Star is a gripping coming-of-age story with a brutal murder at its heart and a heroine as unforgettable as Harper Lee's "Scout."

It is early summer and Nellie Peck is on the cusp of adolescence - gangly, awkward, full of questions, but keenly observant and wiser than many of the adults in her life. The person she most admires is her father, Benjamin, a man of great integrity. His family's century old hardware store is failing and Nellie's mother has had to g...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nellie Peck is the middle child, having an older sister, Ruth, and a younger brother, Henry. Her mom is a hairdresser and her dad owns a hardware store. His dream though is to finish his novel that he has been writing for years about the history of their town. While he is dreaming, it's getting harder and harder for them to make ends meet. So, they rent out a three room apartment that is on the back of their house.

Nellie ends up spending much of her summer watching out for her brother Henry whil...more

like · see review

Aug 18, 2012 mari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, fiction, young-adult

I had grown a little tired of all the werewolves, vampires and fairies in YA books as of late. It seemed to be all that I ever would hear about. I had found it hard to find good fiction that dealt with real people and real problems. I was really excited to get this book sent to me. Nothing supernatural in this one, but still filled with tragedy, mystery, a strong young female protagonist and real teenage issues.

Thirteen year old Nellie Peck, is young and dealing with family issues as well as get...more

like · see review

Dec 07, 2011 Peggy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a murder mystery and a coming of age book about Nellie, a 13 year old girl, her little brother, Henry and her half sister, Ruth. Add to the mix some disfunctional parents: her dad, owner of the family hardware store and her mom, a beautician forced back to work by the less than successful store her dad runs half-heartedly.

To make ends meet, Nellie's mom, Sandy, rents a small apartment to a friend's neice, who is a stripper and exotic dancer named Dolly Bedelia. Dolly is actually a fairl...more

like · see review

Sep 10, 2011 Brittany Rehage rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a riveting book and a wonderfully written coming of age story that really highlights the moral struggles of Nellie Peck as she grows up.

Nellie starts the book as a young thirteen year old who's biggest problem in life is having to be her brother's caretaker and try to toughen him up. Slowly, as her family's problem start to come into view (such as her sister's hunt for her father, her family's money problems and her parents' marriage problems); she realizes that the world isn't as clean...more

like · see review

Sep 09, 2011 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, arc, animals-die, net-galley, literary, for-review

Goodreads Summary:

Light from a Distant Star is a gripping coming-of-age story with a brutal murder at its heart and a heroine as unforgettable as Harper Lee’s "Scout."

It is early summer and Nellie Peck is on the cusp of adolescence – gangly, awkward, full of questions, but keenly observant and wiser than many of the adults in her life. The person she most admires is her father, Benjamin, a man of great integrity. His family’s century old hardware store is failing and Nellie’s mother has had to g...more

like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 Crystal rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an easy read about a 13 year old girl who finds herself involved in a murder case. The wrong man is being accused and she knows who the real killer is, but no one will believe her. All the while, her own family is dealing with struggles of their own, case in point: her older sister Ruth wants to find her real father.

Overall this book was alright. I had a conflict with the names. Everyone else in this town (except for Bucky's parents) seemed to name their children names that are pretty...more

like · see review

Dec 07, 2011 Marcia A rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the novel, the first I have read by this author. Family saga, with lots of drama and dysfunction, but this one eventually involves a murder and a smart 13 year old girl who is very much on her own.

Amazon's book description (Is it okay if I copy this? I was thinking it would be helpful for those who are reading the Goodreads updates.):

"Light from a Distant Star is a gripping coming-of-age story with a brutal murder at its heart and a heroine as unforgettable as Harper Lee’s "Scout."

It is...more I liked the novel, the first I have read by this author. Family saga, with lots of drama and dysfunction, but this one eventually involves a murder and a smart 13 year old girl who is very much on her own.

Amazon's book description (Is it okay if I copy this? I was thinking it would be helpful for those who are reading the Goodreads updates.):

"Light from a Distant Star is a gripping coming-of-age story with a brutal murder at its heart and a heroine as unforgettable as Harper Lee’s "Scout."

It is early summer and Nellie Peck is on the cusp of adolescence – gangly, awkward, full of questions, but keenly observant and wiser than many of the adults in her life. The person she most admires is her father, Benjamin, a man of great integrity. His family’s century old hardware store is failing and Nellie’s mother has had to go back to work. Nellie’s older half-sister has launched a disturbing search for her birth father. Often saddled through the long, hot days with her timid younger brother, Henry, Nellie is determined to toughen him up. And herself as well.

Three strangers enter Nellie’s protected life. Brooding Max Devaney is an ex-con who works in her surly grandfather’s junkyard. Reckless Bucky Saltonstall has just arrived from New York City to live with his elderly grandparents. And pretty Dolly Bedelia is a young stripper who rents the family’s small, rear apartment and becomes the titillating focus of Nellie’s eavesdropping.

When violence erupts in the lovely Peck house, the prime suspect seems obvious. Nellie knows who the real murderer is, but is soon silenced by fear and the threat of scandal. The truth, as she sees it, is shocking and unthinkable, and with everyone’s eyes riveted on her in the courtroom, Nellie finds herself seized with doubt.

No one will listen. No one believes her, and a man’s life hangs in the balance. A stunning evocation of innocence lost, Light from a Distant Star stands as an incredibly moving and powerful novel from one of America's finest writers."
(less)

like · see review

Aug 29, 2012 Diane rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Dec 10, 2011 Alexis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I really looked forward to reading this book every night. A review I read compared the main character Nellie Peck to Scout in T.K.A.M. and I can understand that comparison. Nellie was the type of child that I think I was...she is very perceptive and thinks she is a quick judge of character. But she doesn't have the real world experience to be able to interpret what she is seeing in any context.

The only thing that threw me a little is that from the jacket of the book, I expected a mystery (a mur...more

like · see review

Oct 23, 2011 Sandie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books, contemporary-lit

LIGHT FROM A DISTANT STAR by Mary McGarry Morris is written from the point of view of thirteen year old Nellie Peck a girl whose insight and emotional maturity belies her chronological age. While Nellie's eyesight is faulty, her intuitive ability to discern the true nature of a situation and grasp the real motivation behind the actions of others is spot on.

All is not well at the Peck home. The family hardware store is failing due to dad Benjamin's disinterest, mom has been forced to take a job o...more LIGHT FROM A DISTANT STAR by Mary McGarry Morris is written from the point of view of thirteen year old Nellie Peck a girl whose insight and emotional maturity belies her chronological age. While Nellie's eyesight is faulty, her intuitive ability to discern the true nature of a situation and grasp the real motivation behind the actions of others is spot on.

All is not well at the Peck home. The family hardware store is failing due to dad Benjamin's disinterest, mom has been forced to take a job outside the home, older sister Ruth has other things on her mind, Grandpa is a nasty old codger who runs a junkyard and Nellie who is increasingly ignored and/or ridiculed by various family members has become the "baby-sitter by default" for her younger brother Henry.

The only relief from her misery that Nellie seems to receive comes from Max Devaney, her grandfather's handyman, his dog Boone and Dolly Bedalia, a stripper who rents a small apartment on the Peck property. These are the people who listen and take an interest in what she has to say, plus she can readily relate to them, possibly because all are outcasts of sorts, either ignored or ill-used by society.

Nellie's angst is almost palpable when she wrestles with the question of loyalty to family versus doing what is right after some unusual circumstances and pure chance converge resulting in her involvement in a murder trial. The how's and why's, of Nellie's dilemma are the foundation on which this story is constructed so I will not ruin your joy of discovery by divulging any further details.

While others have compared this book's character Nellie to Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird, for me she is more Flavia de Luce, wise beyond her years, unable to relate to her siblings and unwillingly drawn into a murder scenerio. As for the Morris's tale of the dysfunctional Peck family, for this reader, it has a Southern Gothic vibe and could almost be described as Faulkner-esque (is that a word) in nature.

I suppose that when all is said and done impressions, feelings and relatability is what reading is all about. It's the impression each individual reader gets from a book, how they relate to the characters and their feelings about the message being conveyed that they take away. There are many messages in DISTANT STAR not the least of which is that there are occasions when "a little child shall lead them". 3 ½ stars
(less)

like · see review

Sep 26, 2011 Linda A rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book annoyed me to say the least. It took to page 140 or so of the 326 pages for this book to get going. Dispensing the first 100 would be an improvement. The parents in this book taught and raised Nellie to have integrity, tell the truth and do what is right. When she wants to do just that, she is told that she can't because it will upset her parents plans to climb out of financial dispair. All the while a man sits in jail for a crime Nellie knows he may not have committed.

Parenting is not...more

like 3 likes · see review

Oct 19, 2011 Don rated it 4 of 5 stars

Morris' writing always intrigues me, it is just a little off beat, just as her characters are. The main character of this novel is a "tween" named Nellie. There is the usual family drama going on here, but the parents are good people struggling in life together and not against each other - something that seems unique to me anymore. The main storyline revolves around Nellie being the "star witness" in a murder trial when she is the only one who believes the man accused is innocent. Disillusioned...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2012 Rachael rated it 1 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I found Nellie (the main character) not a precocious young lady, as she is represented in the book jacket, but wholly unbelievable as someone who claims to be "doing the right thing". The story-line about a family struggling to get by was drawn-out and not presented in a way that made it relate-able to the audience.

Maybe I'm being harsh and didn't really give the book a fair shot. But I hated the style of writing used by the author. She co...more

like 1 like · see review

Oct 17, 2011 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

The main character of this story is Nellie, a young teen; however, this is not a YA novel. Rather, it is more of a coming of age story seen through the eyes of a somewhat lonely, girl going through typical awkward adolescence. We see her family and the happenings in her town through her lens. Nellie's parents are having financial worries and take in a boarder to make ends meet. The boarder is murdered, and Nellie accidentally sees who did it. Everyone else puts the blame on Max, a man with a che...more

like · see review

Oct 22, 2011 Leah Iannone rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book a lot. It is about a family who is in financial trouble so they take in a young tenant in their apartment attached to their house. Dolly Bedelia is a "dancer" and brings excitement and trouble into the family, especially for 13 year old Nellie who is very observant and curious and a little sassy. The story was very rich and it flowed so nicely. Every time I had to stop reading, I couldn't wait to get back to the story and I was sad to see it end. The characters are ones...more

like · see review

Sep 21, 2012 Karen & Gerard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: death, relationships

Light From A Distant Star by Mary McGarry Morris is told by Nellie, a tween girl, who has an older step sister and a younger brother. Nellie tries to do the right thing which sometimes actually gets her into trouble. Her parents struggle financially and Nellie knows more than they give her credit for. When she becomes a star witness in a murder trial, she feels pressure not to tell the whole truth which she knows is wrong. I enjoyed this book very much because of all the interesting relationship...more

like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: firstreads, historical-fiction

After finishing this masterful novel, I'm feeling incredibly illiterate for someone who reads as much as I do. Mary McGarry Morris wrote Songs in Ordinary Time, A Hole in the Universe, and other acclaimed books that I've never read.

This is part of why I love Goodreads - I enter the contests for books that look interesting, by authors that I've heard good things about... and then, when I win a book (yay!) I read them and my world expands a bit.

Light from a Distant Star perfectly captures the no...more After finishing this masterful novel, I'm feeling incredibly illiterate for someone who reads as much as I do. Mary McGarry Morris wrote Songs in Ordinary Time, A Hole in the Universe, and other acclaimed books that I've never read.

This is part of why I love Goodreads - I enter the contests for books that look interesting, by authors that I've heard good things about... and then, when I win a book (yay!) I read them and my world expands a bit.

Light from a Distant Star perfectly captures the not-knowingness of children. I spent part of the time impatient with the book's protagonist, Nellie: Come on! Do it this way! But when you're a kid you just don't connect all the dots. How can you? Adults don't even connect all the dots.

Nellie is thirteen, living in a small town where her family has lived for generations. Her older sister, Ruth, was a love child of their mother and her high school sweetheart, whose family moved to Australia before she was born. Ruth dreams of her "real" father saving her from her miserable teenaged life. Nellie is the smart, over-achieving middle child, awkwardly in between adolescence and childhood, a mix of empathy and judging. Henry, at nine or so, is high strung, and Nellie has decided to toughen him up since she has to watch him all summer anyway. Their father is the third-generation owner of a failing hardware store. That's fine with him, since he'd rather research the town's long history and write it up. "Just a couple more decades!" he pleads with his wife, who wants him to bring in some cash. The mother is a hairdresser, who doesn't make enough to pay the bills - so they rent out an apartment at the back of the house.

Nellie's been warned about eavesdropping, but it's hard to resist when she can hear so clearly everything that goes on with the new renter, a pole dancer at The Paradise. Also new to Nellie's life is her grandfather's hired man, who turns out to have a criminal record, but who saves Henry's life from an attacking dog. Then there's the new boy in town, who wants to kiss Nellie but who also smokes and steals bicycles.

At least one reviewer complained that the murder didn't even happen until about halfway through the book, and that you could just skim through the last pages to find out what happened. Not really! Because the book wasn't about the murder, it was about Nellie, who seems so outspoken from the very first pages, finding a way to be heard.

I thought Light from a Distant Star to be one of the best books I've read this year. Morris is a sure-footed and insightful writer - the book was like going into a familiar place with a guide who is able to help you understand a myriad of details you'd overlooked before. Recommended.

(less)

like · see review

Nov 20, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

This story takes place in the present from what I can tell, but for some reason, it feels as if it takes place in the past. It has a 'looking back' quality to the narrative even though the details of the characters' lives are modern in nature. The main character, Nellie, reminds me of Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird in that she is headstrong and trying to do what is right, and Max is reminiscent of Boo Radley in a way, an unusual man who is misunderstood. Nellie is the only one who can right a wr...more

like · see review

Oct 14, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 stars, because it kept my interest for about three quarters of it. Once it hit the trial, I started skimming for the important parts, and found them all pretty easily.

I had a problem with the mother. All she seemed to want was this perfect family and when the murder happened, her idea of a perfect family was shattered and she almost blamed Dolly for that. And Lazlo. Lazlo for moving out, almost 'forcing' the mother to rent to Dolly. And then she was too quick to judge Dolly, saying she doesn'...more

like · see review

Dec 19, 2011 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, mystery-suspense, read-in-2011

Interesting story. The father was really passive. Didn't interfere when a child and also didn't want his child to report her suspicions even admitted turning a blind eye to things he also witnessed. Yet he knowingly married a girl who was pregnant with someone else's child - these seem like contradictions in his character. Also the parents labeling her a liar when her lies where to say that she never left the basement and also when she inferred to her sister that her menarche had happened. The m...more

like · see review

Oct 06, 2011 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

This story revolves around a young girl entering her adolescence named Nellie. Her family seems to be falling apart around her. Her father is somewhat of an eccentric, wasting his time writing a history of their small town that no one will ever read while the hardware store he runs falls into bankruptcy. Her mother is attempting to keep the family afloat by going back to work as a hairdresser and renting out the apartment attached to their house. Nellie's older sister is drawing away from the fa...more

like · see review

Sep 01, 2011 Carole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaways-first-reads

“I received this uncorrected proof - Light From A Distant Star - as a Good Reads First-Reads Giveaway”

This was the first novel I have read by Mary McGarry Morris. I had heard so much praise for her other works and couldn’t wait to dive right it. This book was easy to read and I found the storyline and cast of characters quite clever. I was able to finish it in a course of one day. Nellie by and far was my favorite character. I enjoyed her blunt honesty, tenacity for justice, and the fact that sh...more

like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 Frank Drury rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.0 out of 5 stars I am sad - but happy for those who liked it!, November 21, 2011
By Frank Drury "Author of An Empty Sky" (Highlands Ranch, Colorado)

This review is from Amazon.com Light from a Distant Star: A Novel (Hardcover)

I have read all of her work. Most of it twice. I sent her my first novel to read, which had been well received by reviewers, and I told her what an inspiration/influence she had been for me. She ignored me - but that was okay; I assumed she was busy creating another mast...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 82 83 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (9)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

13 users

Contemporary

6 users

Young Adult

6 users

Young Adult > Coming Of Age

4 users

Adult

2 users

Literary Fiction

2 users

Historical Fiction

2 users

Relationships

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Mary McGarry Morris

As the author of several novels, Mary McGarry Morris has received considerable attention from critics and readers, as well as from prestigious awards panels.
Her books are noted for their depictions of mentally and emotionally impaired individuals who have difficulty coping with an inhospitable world.
As New York Times Book Review contributor Alice McDermott put it, “Morris does not devise plots,...more

More about Mary McGarry Morris...

Books by Mary McGarry Morris

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Light from a Dist...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Light from a Distant Star
avg rating	preview: Light from a Distant Star Goodreads rating: 3.38 (508 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10574574-light-from-a-distant-star?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320543938l/10574574.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10574574-light-from-a-distant-star?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Light from a Distant Star by Mary McGarry Morris[/url]

Light from a Distant Star

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website