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The Girl Who Fell from the Sky
Inspired by a real event in which a mother's twisted love led to a horrific result, this is the story of the young girl who survived the tragedy and her struggle to come to terms with the accident itself, all the questions it suddenly raised about her family, and her own identity.
Rachel, as the sole survivor, has to make a life and a history on her own. She settles in with her grandmother in a racially divided city. There, she is forced to swallow her grief and at the same time confront her own mixed race heritage, and to understand how the tragedy of her past might be borne from her very identity.
This is both the story of how Rachel comes to terms with a history that is unfathomable and an identity that raises more questions than answers.
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is the winner of the 2008 Bellwether Prize for a fiction manuscript that best addresses issues of social justice. As Barbara Kingsolver said upon granting the award, "We always hope for a winner that perfectly embodies the standards and hopes of this endeavor: strong writing, a compelling voice, and clear moral vision. In this year's winner we have that and much more. The story is heart-wrenching and its issues could not be more timely."
Rachel, as the sole survivor, has to make a life and a history on her own. She settles in with her grandmother in a racially divided city. There, she is forced to swallow her grief and at the same time confront her own mixed race heritage, and to understand how the tragedy of her past might be borne from her very identity.
This is both the story of how Rachel comes to terms with a history that is unfathomable and an identity that raises more questions than answers.
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is the winner of the 2008 Bellwether Prize for a fiction manuscript that best addresses issues of social justice. As Barbara Kingsolver said upon granting the award, "We always hope for a winner that perfectly embodies the standards and hopes of this endeavor: strong writing, a compelling voice, and clear moral vision. In this year's winner we have that and much more. The story is heart-wrenching and its issues could not be more timely."
7 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2010
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About the author
Heidi W. Durrow
4 books629 followersChosen by Barbara Kingsolver for the Bellwether Prize for Literature of Social Change, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (Algonquin Books), is one of the Washington Post's Best Novels of 2010 and a Top 10 Book 2010 of The Oregonian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,178 reviews
August 12, 2013
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 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 unusual 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 back story 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.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
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 unusual 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 back story 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.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
December 25, 2011
I began The Girl Who Fell From the Sky like most people, I think, wanting to know the story of a biracial girl with light skin and blue eyes who is the only survivor of a horrific family tragedy, the details of which are laid out with each page. I was enamored with Rachel's voice and her life after the accident, and more intrigued with what came before. Durrow's writing is superb, how it tied the details. By the novel's end, however, I somehow felt some details were left undone. Like what happens between Rachel and Brick. What about the grandmother?
Most importantly: What will become of Rachel's future? I felt so invested in her, that I felt like this couldn't be the end.
Maybe it's not. I would definitely like to know what happens to adult Rachel. I feel like she has more to tell.
Most importantly: What will become of Rachel's future? I felt so invested in her, that I felt like this couldn't be the end.
Maybe it's not. I would definitely like to know what happens to adult Rachel. I feel like she has more to tell.
July 7, 2021
(Check out the full review at http://www.craftyscribbles.com)
Rachel, sole survivor of a family tragedy navigates boxes others deem fitting for her. Will she choose, or will she set out to determine who she is on her own terms?
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, a debut book, by Heidi W. Durrow, paints a picture of a young girl, born to an African-American father and a Danish mother, and her journey to reclaim what she believes herself to be in a world obsessed with categories, while realizing how hard choosing not to categorize one's self may be.
Rachel moves to Portland to live with her paternal grandmother in a mostly black community in the 1980s. She finds her light skin, blue eyes, and curly hair grants her beauty accolades at the cost of other girls and women. She's special while learning to swallow the grievous moments interlocking with peaceful days.
Throughout the book, readers glance at those categorizing her as the lone survivor of a sadness indescribable. Her mother, Nella, along with a witness, Brick/Jamie, and a mother's friend, Lavonne serve as the other eyes of Rachel's life.
While race centers the story, sexuality and coming of age follow as subsequent themes to create a gumbo worthy of reading.
At first glance, I shivered from an angry undercurrent permeating and worried whether I could finish this story. Earlier on, she gives indictments about the black community she lives in and judges them based on the little knowledge she has on black people. For example, she mocks their vernacular and appearances, unless she likes them (e.g. Aunt Loretta). My eyes rolled in sweat. She "othered" herself before others boxed her with an air of supremacy I've witnessed from the "Tragic Mulatto" cliche. I closed the book, at first, because I decided not to continue.
However, after a breath or two, I continued, hoping Durrow had something to say, other than propagating the "Tragic Mulatto" trope. As the chapters progressed and Rachel grew familiar with her new family and community, peeling back Rachel's layers, you see why she behaved in the manner she presented.
Her mother.
Constant confusion and chaos by a woman unsure of herself and unsure of how to raise her children, raised in fear, anxiety, and an unacknowledged discussion of their place in the world. She simply did not know who she was.
Once pieces created the puzzle, our eyes (Rachel and mine) opened, a silent dialogue began.
Pros:
1. A good story
2. Complex characterization
3. Believable dialogue
4. Constant opportunity for discussion beyond the page
5. Brick. Even though he's fictional, I wish the best for him - a young boy trying to find his way after witnessing that day.
6. Multiple points of view, garnering everyone's role in Rachel's literal and metaphorical fall from the sky
Cons:
1. Use of a her father's point of view once or twice (Not enough of a p.o.v. to give chapters)
2. I got confused when some information that came as the chapters passed (Who is Charlie?)
3. I still feel Rachel served as an avatar for Durrow's feelings about black people. She receives a side-eye with her pseudo-therapeutic approach.
4. Jesse. He showed his true colors. Yet, Durrow ends his arc without consequence - almost letting him get away with his actions when she wouldn't do the same for the black kids.
5. Her mother's reason for her action. Protection from society? What?
6. An open-ended ending that's a tad abrupt. I guess I would have liked more of a clear destination for Rachel. But, it's not my tale to tell.
Overall, I rated this book a 3.5 out of 5. The Girl Who Fell From The Sky attempts for an unflinching look at flight, but may leave you buying a train ticket to another story.
*This book happily sits on my bookshelf from my own funds*
Rachel, sole survivor of a family tragedy navigates boxes others deem fitting for her. Will she choose, or will she set out to determine who she is on her own terms?
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, a debut book, by Heidi W. Durrow, paints a picture of a young girl, born to an African-American father and a Danish mother, and her journey to reclaim what she believes herself to be in a world obsessed with categories, while realizing how hard choosing not to categorize one's self may be.
Rachel moves to Portland to live with her paternal grandmother in a mostly black community in the 1980s. She finds her light skin, blue eyes, and curly hair grants her beauty accolades at the cost of other girls and women. She's special while learning to swallow the grievous moments interlocking with peaceful days.
Throughout the book, readers glance at those categorizing her as the lone survivor of a sadness indescribable. Her mother, Nella, along with a witness, Brick/Jamie, and a mother's friend, Lavonne serve as the other eyes of Rachel's life.
While race centers the story, sexuality and coming of age follow as subsequent themes to create a gumbo worthy of reading.
At first glance, I shivered from an angry undercurrent permeating and worried whether I could finish this story. Earlier on, she gives indictments about the black community she lives in and judges them based on the little knowledge she has on black people. For example, she mocks their vernacular and appearances, unless she likes them (e.g. Aunt Loretta). My eyes rolled in sweat. She "othered" herself before others boxed her with an air of supremacy I've witnessed from the "Tragic Mulatto" cliche. I closed the book, at first, because I decided not to continue.
However, after a breath or two, I continued, hoping Durrow had something to say, other than propagating the "Tragic Mulatto" trope. As the chapters progressed and Rachel grew familiar with her new family and community, peeling back Rachel's layers, you see why she behaved in the manner she presented.
Her mother.
Constant confusion and chaos by a woman unsure of herself and unsure of how to raise her children, raised in fear, anxiety, and an unacknowledged discussion of their place in the world. She simply did not know who she was.
Once pieces created the puzzle, our eyes (Rachel and mine) opened, a silent dialogue began.
Pros:
1. A good story
2. Complex characterization
3. Believable dialogue
4. Constant opportunity for discussion beyond the page
5. Brick. Even though he's fictional, I wish the best for him - a young boy trying to find his way after witnessing that day.
6. Multiple points of view, garnering everyone's role in Rachel's literal and metaphorical fall from the sky
Cons:
1. Use of a her father's point of view once or twice (Not enough of a p.o.v. to give chapters)
2. I got confused when some information that came as the chapters passed (Who is Charlie?)
3. I still feel Rachel served as an avatar for Durrow's feelings about black people. She receives a side-eye with her pseudo-therapeutic approach.
4. Jesse. He showed his true colors. Yet, Durrow ends his arc without consequence - almost letting him get away with his actions when she wouldn't do the same for the black kids.
5. Her mother's reason for her action. Protection from society? What?
6. An open-ended ending that's a tad abrupt. I guess I would have liked more of a clear destination for Rachel. But, it's not my tale to tell.
Overall, I rated this book a 3.5 out of 5. The Girl Who Fell From The Sky attempts for an unflinching look at flight, but may leave you buying a train ticket to another story.
*This book happily sits on my bookshelf from my own funds*
April 7, 2010
It's been 3 days since I finished this book and I can't get it out of my head. The tragedy involving the main character is devastating and just when I thought I was sure that I knew what really happened, more details came out to make me question the event and the motivations behind it. Separate from the mystery of the "event", I love the way the author presented the characters and the way each of them perceived and dealt with the racial issues - some profound and some of a more every-day nature - present throughout the book. I even learned a new definition for "lizard"! At the end, this book left me feeling sad and disturbed by what the young characters went through, but also hopeful for their future. Sequel - please?!
On a side note, I had the pleasure of attending a writing workshop held by Ms. Durrow just a couple of days after I completed the book. I can't remember the last time I felt so inspired by someone. This woman had a dream to write a book - not just any book - but a book that would make a difference in the world and make people thoughtfully consider issues of race, class, and social justice. She pursued her dream in the most dedicated and methodical (I think that must have come from the lawyer in her :)) ways, and was successful in making, and continuing to make, her dream reality.
What really got me though, was her excitement about the process and her willingness to be absolutely forthcoming about her experiences - both those from her past that she incorporated into the book and also about what she went through as a writer to reach her goal of publishing her first book. She was so warm, encouraging, and inspiring that all of us in the room were convinced by the end of the evening that we could all be wonderfully successful authors. Look out world!
On a side note, I had the pleasure of attending a writing workshop held by Ms. Durrow just a couple of days after I completed the book. I can't remember the last time I felt so inspired by someone. This woman had a dream to write a book - not just any book - but a book that would make a difference in the world and make people thoughtfully consider issues of race, class, and social justice. She pursued her dream in the most dedicated and methodical (I think that must have come from the lawyer in her :)) ways, and was successful in making, and continuing to make, her dream reality.
What really got me though, was her excitement about the process and her willingness to be absolutely forthcoming about her experiences - both those from her past that she incorporated into the book and also about what she went through as a writer to reach her goal of publishing her first book. She was so warm, encouraging, and inspiring that all of us in the room were convinced by the end of the evening that we could all be wonderfully successful authors. Look out world!
July 21, 2011
As a person of mixed raced (nearly exact of Durrow's main character Rachel), I really thought that I would love this novel and fall in love with the characters and Heidi Durrow. The exact opposite happened.
I'm sorry to say, but Durrow is an awful writer. Her one-stream lined consciousness is just not my taste, especially in fiction novels with one main character (though Durrow does switch from character to character narration with extremely awkward timing).
Looking at the back cover and author biography, it's clear that Durrow is writing loosely about her own autobiographical accounts as a mulatto woman in a young girls body.
Race is always a touchy subject, and for myself, I prefer stories that are less overt and more subtle hints about race instead of Durrow's style of:
"I'm black. I'm white. I have blue eyes."
"Black girl this. White girl that."
After reading this novel, it's clear to see that Durrow still has some issues of her own she needs to figure out about her own identity, because does Rachel even find out her own identity--really?
I know this book has been praised by a lot of people, but for me, it's just another tragic mulatto story that should be left in the diary of Heidi Durrow.
I'm sorry to say, but Durrow is an awful writer. Her one-stream lined consciousness is just not my taste, especially in fiction novels with one main character (though Durrow does switch from character to character narration with extremely awkward timing).
Looking at the back cover and author biography, it's clear that Durrow is writing loosely about her own autobiographical accounts as a mulatto woman in a young girls body.
Race is always a touchy subject, and for myself, I prefer stories that are less overt and more subtle hints about race instead of Durrow's style of:
"I'm black. I'm white. I have blue eyes."
"Black girl this. White girl that."
After reading this novel, it's clear to see that Durrow still has some issues of her own she needs to figure out about her own identity, because does Rachel even find out her own identity--really?
I know this book has been praised by a lot of people, but for me, it's just another tragic mulatto story that should be left in the diary of Heidi Durrow.
February 20, 2010
You must read this book. You must.
Last night I went to Powell’s Bookstore to hear Heidi Durrow talk about her debut novel, “The Girl Who Fell From The Sky”. It was the first time in three years that I cried in front of strangers. And it was because I identified with the character Rachel. Not the story of her mixed roots, but of the grief that she keeps silent and how it affects her life. When Rachel says, “I am not the new girl. But I will pretend.”, it hit me hard. I know that feeling. As I left the bookstore I heard the streetcar pulling up to my stop but I needed to walk. I crossed the street, avoiding the streetcar, and the driver who recognized me as a regular waited. I waved and walked on the other side of the street. I needed the night air and the noise spilling out of the jazz club and of the people out on a Friday night to fill my head with other thoughts. This morning I woke up, grabbed the book from the table and didn’t leave my reading chair until I had finished it. I haven’t done that in a very long time.
Heidi Durrow won the Bellwether Prize for fiction because of the social issues of the book. But there is much more to the story. “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky” is a story of life, love, grief, survival, and learning about your past as well as your future.
Rachel talks of a blue glass bottle with a cork top that she keeps inside of her, where she puts all of her sadness and anger. I like that, and I realized that I need to find my own blue glass bottle for those things instead of the corner of my heart where they have been stored for almost four years. Rachel goes to a blues club to hear Etta James sing, she has never heard the blues before, and has a beautiful way of describing them: “The bottle is where everything sad or mean or confusing can go. And the blues – it’s like that bottle. But in the bottle there’s a seed that you let grow. Even in the bottle it can grow big and green. It’s full of those feelings that are in there, but beautiful and growing too.” That, to me is beautiful. And I will remember that analogy when I go to the blues fest this summer.
Last night I went to Powell’s Bookstore to hear Heidi Durrow talk about her debut novel, “The Girl Who Fell From The Sky”. It was the first time in three years that I cried in front of strangers. And it was because I identified with the character Rachel. Not the story of her mixed roots, but of the grief that she keeps silent and how it affects her life. When Rachel says, “I am not the new girl. But I will pretend.”, it hit me hard. I know that feeling. As I left the bookstore I heard the streetcar pulling up to my stop but I needed to walk. I crossed the street, avoiding the streetcar, and the driver who recognized me as a regular waited. I waved and walked on the other side of the street. I needed the night air and the noise spilling out of the jazz club and of the people out on a Friday night to fill my head with other thoughts. This morning I woke up, grabbed the book from the table and didn’t leave my reading chair until I had finished it. I haven’t done that in a very long time.
Heidi Durrow won the Bellwether Prize for fiction because of the social issues of the book. But there is much more to the story. “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky” is a story of life, love, grief, survival, and learning about your past as well as your future.
Rachel talks of a blue glass bottle with a cork top that she keeps inside of her, where she puts all of her sadness and anger. I like that, and I realized that I need to find my own blue glass bottle for those things instead of the corner of my heart where they have been stored for almost four years. Rachel goes to a blues club to hear Etta James sing, she has never heard the blues before, and has a beautiful way of describing them: “The bottle is where everything sad or mean or confusing can go. And the blues – it’s like that bottle. But in the bottle there’s a seed that you let grow. Even in the bottle it can grow big and green. It’s full of those feelings that are in there, but beautiful and growing too.” That, to me is beautiful. And I will remember that analogy when I go to the blues fest this summer.
January 5, 2013
I think I forgot a cardinal rule of finding a good book: never pick up the one that is stuffed with pages of critical acclaim... I just didn't get it. Obviously Durrow can write - somehow I keep finding books that are extremely readable but ultimately disappointing. She has ability, and here she even had bits that would've made for a good story. But it just seemed that she kept falling short. First gripe: writing 'Southern' dialogue has to be done carefully. It tends to work better if the author knows the way to format the sentences and what words to pick rather than resorting to the ultra-obvious choice of misspelling certain words so you are forced into it. Leaving the 'g' off a word is not the way to sound legit, believe it or not. Secondly, the big point of this book (I thought, at least from what the back cover & critic's hype was saying) was supposed to be about growing up biracial. Ummm.... I didn't get that. For one thing, I never felt close to Rachel. She just lacked a depth of humanity you want in a lead character dealing with a sensitive situation. Plus it seemed her being half-Danish was more important and more fleshed-out than being biracial in general. It seemed that her being half-black was dealt with very superficially, with little more than (to paraphrase here) something along the lines of, "So, I was black, the white girls didn't hang out with me, but I had light skin and blue eyes so black girls didn't really care for me either." I never felt anything relevant or important was said on what was supposedly a central theme. The family tragedy in the story was apparently, drawn from real life headlines, and at times was handled skillfully, but I don't know -- it just seemed like the story was a hodgepodge of book ideas thrown together haphazardly and with too many voices trying to tell it.
November 29, 2010
Rachel is the daughter of an African-American G.I. and a Danish woman. Following a family tragedy, she moves to Portland, Oregon and lives with her paternal grandmother, a change which challenges her understanding of her identity and place in the world. The concept and set up for this book are wonderful, and the first half of the book tensely builds promise after promise, interweaving multiple characters’ perspectives on one tragic event. The book, however, fails to deliver on most of those promises, what with getting lost amidst literary pretension. Ms. Durrow treads too shallowly: in her attempt to not answer any questions and leave open ample room for discussion and interpretation, she fails to tell the story and creates an unnecessary distance between her readers and characters. She passes up numerous opportunities to delve into who her characters are and instead settles for keeping them as shadow puppets. Similar to Losing My Cool, I was disappointed and frustrated by faulty execution of a brilliant concept. Quasi recommended.
September 21, 2024
I'm not sure how this book found its way into my life, but I am glad it did. I didn't know anything about it before starting and didn't realize it had won any award until about a third of the way through when I was talking about it.
Rachel, a young, lost, hurting mixed-race girl (Danish/African American), is thrust into the world of a predominantly African-American community in 1980s Portland. The reader is experiencing this intro into a culture she was mainly removed from. To be honest, the initial interpretations through Rachel's eyes are a bit disconcerting and off-putting. Luckily, I decided to keep going.
As the story unfolds, snippets of the past are shown through multiple narrative points to help the reader guess some unspecified tragedy that led Rachel to live with her grandmother. As Rachel grows and struggles with the mystery, and more of it comes to life, we see Rachel's attempt to grasp for control in her adolescent life destructively.
These characters are flawed, and Rachel's mother's voice of the past is the most heard and has a significant impact on Rachel as she makes her foray into motherhood. Much could be speculated and deduced from the possible comparison between these two. As the story unfolds, we see that the majority of these characters come from one broken home or another. Generational behavior patterns and struggles with coping mechanisms come to light along the way.
Issues for me as a reader: the overall prevalence that Rachel was somehow more "elite" than "normal/regular" black people, as well as the repeated words and actions that showed that she was "more beautiful" for being mixed instead of "full black." Her father didn't have more of a voice in the narration when he was such a large part of the story. The lack of accountability or consequence to a character played the hell out of Rachel. (I will admit that this is likely the true case, but it was irksome all the same).
The unveil was heartbreaking, and I could feel it in my heart. Heidi W. Durrow did well with this; I still felt that connection, even if there were gaps in much of the story. There is much to talk about in this book, especially for me as a single white mother of a mixed son and the struggle to help him be his most authentic self. I understand the confusion and the protective desire (though to a healthier extent) and the distress of constantly having my parentage questioned due to the difference in skin tones.
Among the seriousness, a funny quote stood out:
"One time, I found my mom's birth control and a fake penis."
This is worth the read, and I can see why it was chosen for the Bellwether Prize.
Solid 4 Stars for me.
Rachel, a young, lost, hurting mixed-race girl (Danish/African American), is thrust into the world of a predominantly African-American community in 1980s Portland. The reader is experiencing this intro into a culture she was mainly removed from. To be honest, the initial interpretations through Rachel's eyes are a bit disconcerting and off-putting. Luckily, I decided to keep going.
As the story unfolds, snippets of the past are shown through multiple narrative points to help the reader guess some unspecified tragedy that led Rachel to live with her grandmother. As Rachel grows and struggles with the mystery, and more of it comes to life, we see Rachel's attempt to grasp for control in her adolescent life destructively.
These characters are flawed, and Rachel's mother's voice of the past is the most heard and has a significant impact on Rachel as she makes her foray into motherhood. Much could be speculated and deduced from the possible comparison between these two. As the story unfolds, we see that the majority of these characters come from one broken home or another. Generational behavior patterns and struggles with coping mechanisms come to light along the way.
Issues for me as a reader: the overall prevalence that Rachel was somehow more "elite" than "normal/regular" black people, as well as the repeated words and actions that showed that she was "more beautiful" for being mixed instead of "full black." Her father didn't have more of a voice in the narration when he was such a large part of the story. The lack of accountability or consequence to a character played the hell out of Rachel. (I will admit that this is likely the true case, but it was irksome all the same).
The unveil was heartbreaking, and I could feel it in my heart. Heidi W. Durrow did well with this; I still felt that connection, even if there were gaps in much of the story. There is much to talk about in this book, especially for me as a single white mother of a mixed son and the struggle to help him be his most authentic self. I understand the confusion and the protective desire (though to a healthier extent) and the distress of constantly having my parentage questioned due to the difference in skin tones.
Among the seriousness, a funny quote stood out:
"One time, I found my mom's birth control and a fake penis."
This is worth the read, and I can see why it was chosen for the Bellwether Prize.
Solid 4 Stars for me.
August 2, 2021
the girl who fell from the sky is about a biracial girl growing up in the 1980s; the one survivor of a family tragedy. her mother and siblings fell from the sky, too, but rachel is the only one who lived.
i can certainly see this novel as part of the tradition of the bluest eye and other toni morrisson works. it reads like adult fiction although it's about a kid, and the interwoven perspectives have a classic feel.
the book deals with racism, colorism, alcoholism, poverty, grief, biracial identity, and other struggles that rachel lives through. but i often felt lost and unsure of exactly what was going on. the book spans from when rachel is 10 until she's 16 (i think?). but there's rarely any confirmation of the passage of time. i was often confused about just how old she was. and once the book reaches its abrupt ending, there are many loose threads and questions that go unanswered.
for some readers the absence of detail might not be a problem; but i think the vagueness takes away from the power of rachel's story. the dialogue is believable and the themes are important, but it lacks cohesion.
i can certainly see this novel as part of the tradition of the bluest eye and other toni morrisson works. it reads like adult fiction although it's about a kid, and the interwoven perspectives have a classic feel.
the book deals with racism, colorism, alcoholism, poverty, grief, biracial identity, and other struggles that rachel lives through. but i often felt lost and unsure of exactly what was going on. the book spans from when rachel is 10 until she's 16 (i think?). but there's rarely any confirmation of the passage of time. i was often confused about just how old she was. and once the book reaches its abrupt ending, there are many loose threads and questions that go unanswered.
for some readers the absence of detail might not be a problem; but i think the vagueness takes away from the power of rachel's story. the dialogue is believable and the themes are important, but it lacks cohesion.
April 5, 2010
In the introductory pages, a quote from Nella Larson's novel "Passing" somewhat begins our journey. "Passing" for me was a engaging, insightful, and memorable story, the quote presence prepared me for what I thought would be a compelling story I could immerse myself in. I did not find it, in TGWFFTS. It was hard for me to cheer for Rachel the main character. Larsen delves into the psychological depths of herself and other women who are passing, Durrow seems content to give her characters a one dimensional quality that drove me nuts. I wished for a more complete back story, not hints, which is what we got. For example her brother Robbie, all we know is that he stuttered and liked comic books. I was not able to imagine what he really looked like, who he was, how she felt about him.
Other little things in the novel bothered me, for example, Rachel believed black girls did not like her but when the opportunity to friend Lakeisha presented itself, Rachel remained distant. We really don't know why, I have to guess that it is because Rachel thought Lakeisha was not smart. For me it was a missed opportunity for the author to dig deeper into Rachel's mistrust/ fear/ unfamiliarity. I did not understand why this seemingly smart, resourceful, observant girl was not able to recognize what to do when Brick attempted to give her a fist bump. She attended a predominately black high school, I would think that she would have witness a similar greeting before. The scene made no sense to me it was not helpful.
I wanted more of her mother Nella, every page from her journal gave just a hint of insight, and the entries were so brief no true complexity. I relate strongly to novels on race and straddling multiples worlds of identity, I am not able to connect to this story.
Other little things in the novel bothered me, for example, Rachel believed black girls did not like her but when the opportunity to friend Lakeisha presented itself, Rachel remained distant. We really don't know why, I have to guess that it is because Rachel thought Lakeisha was not smart. For me it was a missed opportunity for the author to dig deeper into Rachel's mistrust/ fear/ unfamiliarity. I did not understand why this seemingly smart, resourceful, observant girl was not able to recognize what to do when Brick attempted to give her a fist bump. She attended a predominately black high school, I would think that she would have witness a similar greeting before. The scene made no sense to me it was not helpful.
I wanted more of her mother Nella, every page from her journal gave just a hint of insight, and the entries were so brief no true complexity. I relate strongly to novels on race and straddling multiples worlds of identity, I am not able to connect to this story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2015
This is the story of Rachel, a biracial (black and white) girl who loses her immediate family due to jaw dropping decision made by her mother. After the incident, Rachel leaves Chicago to live with her father’s mother in Oregon.
Rachel struggles to understand why she’s treated differently just because she doesn’t look like most of the people around her. She's also conflicted about which part of herself to identify with. As Rachel’s grandmother fills in the parenting role, she is not able to appropriately address the conflicts that stem from being a biracial child.
This book touches on mental health issues, poverty, love, and racism in a way that’s not confrontational or depressing. We watch a young girl struggle with identity while trying to hold on to the valuable lessons her mother taught her. The author manages to balance all of these topics and still provide comic relief. Even though this book is fiction, and in many places funny and quite charming, it provides many opportunities for serious reflection.
There was a stretch of several years that I read only nonfiction. This book made me fall for fiction again.
“The ghetto looks different in different places but if you live there it makes you feel the same.” fromThe Girl Who Fell From the Sky
Rachel struggles to understand why she’s treated differently just because she doesn’t look like most of the people around her. She's also conflicted about which part of herself to identify with. As Rachel’s grandmother fills in the parenting role, she is not able to appropriately address the conflicts that stem from being a biracial child.
This book touches on mental health issues, poverty, love, and racism in a way that’s not confrontational or depressing. We watch a young girl struggle with identity while trying to hold on to the valuable lessons her mother taught her. The author manages to balance all of these topics and still provide comic relief. Even though this book is fiction, and in many places funny and quite charming, it provides many opportunities for serious reflection.
There was a stretch of several years that I read only nonfiction. This book made me fall for fiction again.
“The ghetto looks different in different places but if you live there it makes you feel the same.” fromThe Girl Who Fell From the Sky
December 19, 2018
4/5
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, the first (and only) novel by Heidi Durrow, won the 2010 Bellwether Prize, an award given every other year to a work of fiction that focuses on social justice issues. The focus in this case was on growing up biracial (and with blue eyes) in America. Like her protagonist, Rachel, Durrow was the daughter of a white Danish mother and an African-American serviceman father. She moved to the Portland, Oregon in United States when she was eleven. But Durrow’s life situation is otherwise not at all similar to Rachel’s. Durrow said she based the plot of her story on a newspaper article she had read and mentioned that she was inspired by Toni Morrison, especially The Bluest Eye, and the works of Nella Larsen, an American novelist writing during the 1920’s, also a biracial child of a Danish mother and an African-Caribbean father. Even though her life situation does not match Rachel’s, the topic Durrow chooses to write about (being biracial in America) is one with which Durrow is thoroughly familiar.
The novel, which is told from many perspectives, begins with Rachel arriving at her paternal grandmother’s in Texas, after she was injured in a fall off the roof of her apartment house, a fall which killed her mother and two siblings. We hear from Jamie (third person narrative), the young boy who saw Rachel’s family falling past his window from the roof to the ground. Larone, who is Rachel’s mother’s boss at the library, also contributes her point of view. We meet Nella (Rachel’s mother whom Rachel calls Mor) through her journal pages. Only Rachel’s narratives are first person. In Texas, Rachel is confronted with racial issues as she had not been before. And most of the other characters in the novel also confront racial issues. The characters are interesting and varied. This book is worth reading; Durrow is a skilled storyteller with a powerful story to tell. I recommend it.
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, the first (and only) novel by Heidi Durrow, won the 2010 Bellwether Prize, an award given every other year to a work of fiction that focuses on social justice issues. The focus in this case was on growing up biracial (and with blue eyes) in America. Like her protagonist, Rachel, Durrow was the daughter of a white Danish mother and an African-American serviceman father. She moved to the Portland, Oregon in United States when she was eleven. But Durrow’s life situation is otherwise not at all similar to Rachel’s. Durrow said she based the plot of her story on a newspaper article she had read and mentioned that she was inspired by Toni Morrison, especially The Bluest Eye, and the works of Nella Larsen, an American novelist writing during the 1920’s, also a biracial child of a Danish mother and an African-Caribbean father. Even though her life situation does not match Rachel’s, the topic Durrow chooses to write about (being biracial in America) is one with which Durrow is thoroughly familiar.
The novel, which is told from many perspectives, begins with Rachel arriving at her paternal grandmother’s in Texas, after she was injured in a fall off the roof of her apartment house, a fall which killed her mother and two siblings. We hear from Jamie (third person narrative), the young boy who saw Rachel’s family falling past his window from the roof to the ground. Larone, who is Rachel’s mother’s boss at the library, also contributes her point of view. We meet Nella (Rachel’s mother whom Rachel calls Mor) through her journal pages. Only Rachel’s narratives are first person. In Texas, Rachel is confronted with racial issues as she had not been before. And most of the other characters in the novel also confront racial issues. The characters are interesting and varied. This book is worth reading; Durrow is a skilled storyteller with a powerful story to tell. I recommend it.
Read
February 5, 2010Jackie says:
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 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.
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 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.
July 5, 2014
i quite enjoyed this book, but it wasn't outstanding. i don't know if it was because i read the e-book and i expected the story to be longer than it actually was - you can never judge the way you do with a paper book.
i would still recommend the book - it was hard to put down and it's an easy read. it's rather depressing, so don't expect a feel good story.
i would still recommend the book - it was hard to put down and it's an easy read. it's rather depressing, so don't expect a feel good story.
January 16, 2020
The themes were interesting but the story fizzled out quite a bit in the 2nd half.
2.5* rounded up
2.5* rounded up
March 18, 2019
Rachel Morse is eleven years old and living with her paternal grandmother in Portland, Oregon. Born to a Danish mother and an African-American GI father, she finds herself caught between two very different worlds and struggles to find a place somewhere in the middle. However, it is the early 1980s and Rachel is often forced to choose between black and white: “I see people two different ways now: people who look like me and people who don’t look like me.” She builds her world around “last-time things” (like speaking Danish or saying Mor, which means mother) and “first-time things” (like feeling shame or excluded) and lives each day storing her anger and hurt inside an imaginary bottle. Fighting against a tragic past and facing an uncertain future, will Rachel have to give up one part of herself in order to embrace the other?
Durrow gives us a haunting and heartbreaking coming-of-age story about a biracial girl desperately trying to find her place in the world. Like Rachel, Durrow’s mother was Danish, her father was a black serviceman, and she possesses a set of piercing-blue eyes. We can see what Durrow must have dealt with as we see Rachel longing to fit in and be accepted. Rachel’s backstory is tragic and unimaginable and one can only imagine the inner strength our young heroine possesses in order to avoid a fate like her mother’s. The beginning of the book is a little confusing as Durrow floods the reader with several characters in various situations across different points in time. The storyline eventually smooths out, but then you begin to understand the meaning behind the title. This launches the story in an unpredictable direction and the pace never slows from there.
Perhaps the most distressing storyline belongs to Nella, Rachel’s mother. A Danish immigrant, she is unused to the treatment her biracial children face in America (her marriage was generally accepted in Europe). As a mother, she loves her children unconditionally and vows to protect them at all costs. She is broken by the injustices thrown at her children and wonders why people are unable to see her children as she does: “My children are one half of black. They are also one half of me. I want them to be anything. They are not just a color that people see.”
"The Girl Who Fell from the Sky" is haunting and harrowing. It is not one of those feel-good books that is wrapped up in a pretty bow. Instead, we are given a story that is raw and poignant and uncomfortably ugly but honest. Under anyone else’s pen, the reader might be left with a sense of hopelessness, but Durrow is, in a sense, telling us her own story which, at its very core, is a story of survival. A story where a girl refuses to be boiled down to simply this or that. She is more than just the sum of her parts and her acceptance of this is enough to give us a relatively satisfying ending. As Rachel says, “I’m not the new girl. I’m not the color of my skin. I’m a story. One with a past and a future unwritten.” And with that, the girl who fell from the sky realized that she had wings and could fly.
Durrow gives us a haunting and heartbreaking coming-of-age story about a biracial girl desperately trying to find her place in the world. Like Rachel, Durrow’s mother was Danish, her father was a black serviceman, and she possesses a set of piercing-blue eyes. We can see what Durrow must have dealt with as we see Rachel longing to fit in and be accepted. Rachel’s backstory is tragic and unimaginable and one can only imagine the inner strength our young heroine possesses in order to avoid a fate like her mother’s. The beginning of the book is a little confusing as Durrow floods the reader with several characters in various situations across different points in time. The storyline eventually smooths out, but then you begin to understand the meaning behind the title. This launches the story in an unpredictable direction and the pace never slows from there.
Perhaps the most distressing storyline belongs to Nella, Rachel’s mother. A Danish immigrant, she is unused to the treatment her biracial children face in America (her marriage was generally accepted in Europe). As a mother, she loves her children unconditionally and vows to protect them at all costs. She is broken by the injustices thrown at her children and wonders why people are unable to see her children as she does: “My children are one half of black. They are also one half of me. I want them to be anything. They are not just a color that people see.”
"The Girl Who Fell from the Sky" is haunting and harrowing. It is not one of those feel-good books that is wrapped up in a pretty bow. Instead, we are given a story that is raw and poignant and uncomfortably ugly but honest. Under anyone else’s pen, the reader might be left with a sense of hopelessness, but Durrow is, in a sense, telling us her own story which, at its very core, is a story of survival. A story where a girl refuses to be boiled down to simply this or that. She is more than just the sum of her parts and her acceptance of this is enough to give us a relatively satisfying ending. As Rachel says, “I’m not the new girl. I’m not the color of my skin. I’m a story. One with a past and a future unwritten.” And with that, the girl who fell from the sky realized that she had wings and could fly.
January 10, 2018
Audiobook performed by Karen Murray, Emily Bauer, and Kathleen McInerney
From the book jacket: Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I., becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy after a fateful morning on a Chicago rooftop. Forced to move to a new city with her African-American grandmother as her guardian, Rachel is thrust for the first time into a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, startling blue eyes, and beauty bring a constant stream of attention her way.
My reactions
I found the book in turns horrifying, moving, disturbing, riveting, and confusing. The story moves back and forth in time, and with multiple narrators. The reader certainly gets the sense of Rachel’s confusion – about her identity, about her parentage, about what actually happened, about who and what she’s supposed to be now.
I was moved by Rachel’s predicament. And empathized with her struggles to come to terms with what had happened to her, and to those she loved. The ramifications of one desperate act rippled outward to affect not only Rachel, but her grandmother and the witnesses to the event. All of them were somehow traumatized by that one afternoon on the roof – whether directly involved or not.
While the attention is focused on Rachel, some of the supporting characters are equally moving; Rachel’s grandmother, Roger, and Brick are particularly important and I really appreciated the complexity of their characters as written. All told, this is a great debut, and I look forward to reading future works by Durrow.
The audio book was capably performed by a trio of talented artists: Karen Murray, Emily Bauer and Kathleen McInerney. The opening of the audio DID tell which of these artists voiced which sections, but I failed to write it down before returning it to the library. I can tell you that one voiced Rachel, one voiced her mother Nella, and the third covered the narration and all other characters. Given the structure of the novel, using different narrators was very effective in helping to keep this listener/reader on track.
From the book jacket: Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I., becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy after a fateful morning on a Chicago rooftop. Forced to move to a new city with her African-American grandmother as her guardian, Rachel is thrust for the first time into a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, startling blue eyes, and beauty bring a constant stream of attention her way.
My reactions
I found the book in turns horrifying, moving, disturbing, riveting, and confusing. The story moves back and forth in time, and with multiple narrators. The reader certainly gets the sense of Rachel’s confusion – about her identity, about her parentage, about what actually happened, about who and what she’s supposed to be now.
I was moved by Rachel’s predicament. And empathized with her struggles to come to terms with what had happened to her, and to those she loved. The ramifications of one desperate act rippled outward to affect not only Rachel, but her grandmother and the witnesses to the event. All of them were somehow traumatized by that one afternoon on the roof – whether directly involved or not.
While the attention is focused on Rachel, some of the supporting characters are equally moving; Rachel’s grandmother, Roger, and Brick are particularly important and I really appreciated the complexity of their characters as written. All told, this is a great debut, and I look forward to reading future works by Durrow.
The audio book was capably performed by a trio of talented artists: Karen Murray, Emily Bauer and Kathleen McInerney. The opening of the audio DID tell which of these artists voiced which sections, but I failed to write it down before returning it to the library. I can tell you that one voiced Rachel, one voiced her mother Nella, and the third covered the narration and all other characters. Given the structure of the novel, using different narrators was very effective in helping to keep this listener/reader on track.
February 16, 2011
I got this home at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday and read 1/2 of it my first night. I simply could not put it down until I just had to sleep. I am loving it, though it is so tragic. Can't wait to get back to it tonight.
This book was so many things, but first and for most, it was excellent. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is well written, charming, sad, lonely and real. It is about healing, family and identity. Al in all, I didn't expect such a terrific book. Thanks book club!!!
This book was so many things, but first and for most, it was excellent. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is well written, charming, sad, lonely and real. It is about healing, family and identity. Al in all, I didn't expect such a terrific book. Thanks book club!!!
February 20, 2020
2.5* I’m not very impressed...
July 20, 2012
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky
Heidi Durrow
I read Heidi Durrow’s book, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, twice in one month. The first time took just a few sittings, breathlessly turning the pages, locked inside the story. The second time, I read more slowly, taking notes for my Book Group, and savoring the prose.
Rachel, the girl of the title, is inspired by a newspaper article and partly by the author’s own history. She’s a child of a mixed race, bicultural couple: an African-American father and a blond-haired, blue-eyed Danish mother. At first, Rachel’s story seems unique- she is the lone survivor of a fall from a rooftop that claims her mother and two siblings. But as Durrow interweaves the themes of motherhood and race with this troubled child’s search for her sense of self, the universality of her story becomes clear.
Durrow examines prejudice in all its ugly manifestations as vividly as she explores the beauty in the mother-child relationship, even when the mother may be deemed by some to be “unfit” for that role. She does this with honest, unselfconscious language, and startling imagery. The recurring bird metaphor is particularly haunting.
Durrow’s depictions of the multicultural child’s various dilemmas are spot on. On losing one’s mother tongue: “What if you can only have so many words in you at once? What happens to the other words?” (Rachel, p. 58). On looking “different” and fitting in: “There are 15 black people in the class and 7 white people. And there’s me. There’s another girl who sits in the back. Her name is Carmen LaGuardia, and she has hair like mine, my same color skin, and she counts as black. I don’t understand how, but she seems to know.” (Rachel, p. 60)
Through alternating chapters, we hear the story from Rachel’s first-person viewpoint and the view of the other characters in third-person narration. The tense also shifts between present (Rachel) and past (the others). This very effectively allows the reader to see the same events from several different angles, and to gradually solve the mystery of the girl who fell from the sky. At the same time, it reveals the secrets of another mystery, that of story telling itself:
“Laronne had questions, not answers. The answers might be in Nella’s journals, but Laronne couldn’t be sure. We lie to ourselves in many ways; we write down only what we want to understand and what we want to see.” p.108
and
“I can make things not count by writing them down any way I want…I don’t know if the true story…about any story you could think of matters. If there’s no one else to tell another side – the only story that can be told is the story that becomes true.” (Rachel, page 173).
Heidi Durrow tells a story with a clarity that rings true. Highly recommended for Book Groups.
Heidi Durrow
I read Heidi Durrow’s book, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, twice in one month. The first time took just a few sittings, breathlessly turning the pages, locked inside the story. The second time, I read more slowly, taking notes for my Book Group, and savoring the prose.
Rachel, the girl of the title, is inspired by a newspaper article and partly by the author’s own history. She’s a child of a mixed race, bicultural couple: an African-American father and a blond-haired, blue-eyed Danish mother. At first, Rachel’s story seems unique- she is the lone survivor of a fall from a rooftop that claims her mother and two siblings. But as Durrow interweaves the themes of motherhood and race with this troubled child’s search for her sense of self, the universality of her story becomes clear.
Durrow examines prejudice in all its ugly manifestations as vividly as she explores the beauty in the mother-child relationship, even when the mother may be deemed by some to be “unfit” for that role. She does this with honest, unselfconscious language, and startling imagery. The recurring bird metaphor is particularly haunting.
Durrow’s depictions of the multicultural child’s various dilemmas are spot on. On losing one’s mother tongue: “What if you can only have so many words in you at once? What happens to the other words?” (Rachel, p. 58). On looking “different” and fitting in: “There are 15 black people in the class and 7 white people. And there’s me. There’s another girl who sits in the back. Her name is Carmen LaGuardia, and she has hair like mine, my same color skin, and she counts as black. I don’t understand how, but she seems to know.” (Rachel, p. 60)
Through alternating chapters, we hear the story from Rachel’s first-person viewpoint and the view of the other characters in third-person narration. The tense also shifts between present (Rachel) and past (the others). This very effectively allows the reader to see the same events from several different angles, and to gradually solve the mystery of the girl who fell from the sky. At the same time, it reveals the secrets of another mystery, that of story telling itself:
“Laronne had questions, not answers. The answers might be in Nella’s journals, but Laronne couldn’t be sure. We lie to ourselves in many ways; we write down only what we want to understand and what we want to see.” p.108
and
“I can make things not count by writing them down any way I want…I don’t know if the true story…about any story you could think of matters. If there’s no one else to tell another side – the only story that can be told is the story that becomes true.” (Rachel, page 173).
Heidi Durrow tells a story with a clarity that rings true. Highly recommended for Book Groups.
March 4, 2010
An unusual story of hurt and how different people handle who they are and how they came to be.
It is the story of Rachel Morse, a young girl who grows up to be a young woman throughout the story. She is a child of a danish mother and african american father/military man. You learn from the beginning that there was an "accident" from which Rachel is the only survivor, and from there moves into her paternal grandmother's house where she experiences a bit of an identity crisis - where she must have a label that previously did not exist.
What I found intriguing about this book was not only Rachel's voice - which was a sad testament to how to build up a wall that prevents you from truly living your own life - but also the voices of Brick, Laronne, and Nella. Nella speaks from a place of such loneliness that it is overwhelming. Laronne can't forgive herself for a simple statement she made that may have escalated Nella's pain. Brick is special. He finds solace and comfort in bums, junkies, and odd jobs so that he can carry the flame of truth and come out whole on the other side.
The book was an easy read, though I felt there was a disconnect of emotion. You couldn't completely relate to the characters because they shut off their emotions just before they would have expressed them, so you had to guess. It also did not grab me and refuse to let go until I finished. There was nothing technically wrong with it, and I was satisfied when I completed it, hence the four star rating.
I'd be interested to read the future books that this author delivers.
It is the story of Rachel Morse, a young girl who grows up to be a young woman throughout the story. She is a child of a danish mother and african american father/military man. You learn from the beginning that there was an "accident" from which Rachel is the only survivor, and from there moves into her paternal grandmother's house where she experiences a bit of an identity crisis - where she must have a label that previously did not exist.
What I found intriguing about this book was not only Rachel's voice - which was a sad testament to how to build up a wall that prevents you from truly living your own life - but also the voices of Brick, Laronne, and Nella. Nella speaks from a place of such loneliness that it is overwhelming. Laronne can't forgive herself for a simple statement she made that may have escalated Nella's pain. Brick is special. He finds solace and comfort in bums, junkies, and odd jobs so that he can carry the flame of truth and come out whole on the other side.
The book was an easy read, though I felt there was a disconnect of emotion. You couldn't completely relate to the characters because they shut off their emotions just before they would have expressed them, so you had to guess. It also did not grab me and refuse to let go until I finished. There was nothing technically wrong with it, and I was satisfied when I completed it, hence the four star rating.
I'd be interested to read the future books that this author delivers.
April 20, 2010
Even though I'm an historian who works on infanticide, I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up. Sorry for the spoiler, for those of you who ignored the spoiler warning. Apparently, it's based on a true story...I'd be interested in more details. Is this Durrow's life story? (Durrow, like the novel's main character Rachel, is the daughter of a white Danish and an African-American father, a member of the U.S. airforce.)
The book explores with sensitivity very interesting issues about being the product of not just a mixed-race family, not very different national backgrounds. In my opinion, it doesn't do so well when exploring the question of how we reconcile ourselves with parents who hurl themselves and their children off a roof. Durrow explores the reasons for Nella's choice with sensitivity, but she seems to always skirt around the edges of the issue. Nella murdered her children. Although we might be able to empathize with or understand the reasons that she did so (and that is certainly what Durrow encourages us to do), Nella is never really held to account for her decision (probably because she's dead). Nor, for that matter, is Rachel's father held to account for the decisions that he makes. Rachel reconciles in her own way with the choices of both her parents, but as readers, I think, we're left a little wanting.
The book explores with sensitivity very interesting issues about being the product of not just a mixed-race family, not very different national backgrounds. In my opinion, it doesn't do so well when exploring the question of how we reconcile ourselves with parents who hurl themselves and their children off a roof. Durrow explores the reasons for Nella's choice with sensitivity, but she seems to always skirt around the edges of the issue. Nella murdered her children. Although we might be able to empathize with or understand the reasons that she did so (and that is certainly what Durrow encourages us to do), Nella is never really held to account for her decision (probably because she's dead). Nor, for that matter, is Rachel's father held to account for the decisions that he makes. Rachel reconciles in her own way with the choices of both her parents, but as readers, I think, we're left a little wanting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2021
The Girl Who Feel from the Sky is most definitely a book that I dove into for a certain challenge. I'll admit that it wasn't even on my radar until recently and that's mostly because it was available on KU. Which, yes, makes me feel like a terrible reader but there's honestly so many books out there that I don't know about them all. Sorry?
That being said, I had no expectations for this book before diving into it. I was definitely going into this with an open mind and some excitement. In the beginning, it started off okay with me. I'll admit that I did get somewhat bored and annoyed throughout this book. Mostly in the beginning but it eventually became a bit better in my opinion.
Also, I really liked meeting Rachel. She's a pretty interesting character who get's dealt with a shitty hand. While trying to find her place in the world, she goes through what I never would or could dream of. She doesn't fall into a black and white world and I love how she was a strong character throughout it all.
Other than that, I'm just glad that I dove into this book. The issues in this are embarrassingly relevant to today's world and that continues to break my heart. I just hope everyone takes a page out of Rachel's book and make the world a better place for every single person living in it.
That being said, I had no expectations for this book before diving into it. I was definitely going into this with an open mind and some excitement. In the beginning, it started off okay with me. I'll admit that I did get somewhat bored and annoyed throughout this book. Mostly in the beginning but it eventually became a bit better in my opinion.
Also, I really liked meeting Rachel. She's a pretty interesting character who get's dealt with a shitty hand. While trying to find her place in the world, she goes through what I never would or could dream of. She doesn't fall into a black and white world and I love how she was a strong character throughout it all.
Other than that, I'm just glad that I dove into this book. The issues in this are embarrassingly relevant to today's world and that continues to break my heart. I just hope everyone takes a page out of Rachel's book and make the world a better place for every single person living in it.
June 28, 2017
It was slow. The ending made no sense. And honestly, as a biracial reader, I found the issues the main character faced surrounding her race to be problematic. There's a part of the novel where Rachel straight up says "black women aren't as pretty as white women." I don't think that's something young black readers should have reinforced in their books. Rachel is hyper-sensitive about every character's race and shade. That hasn't been my experience in life. Not to say people have never made stupid comments to me, but I don't catalog new people I meet based on their skin tone the way she does.
I also don't relate to her struggle with "which" race she is. She's white AND black. Both. Not one or the other. I understand how hard it is when people try to force you in one box or the other, but I consider myself both and have never once thought I'm JUST one or JUST the other. It was a really weird experience for me reading this.
I also don't relate to her struggle with "which" race she is. She's white AND black. Both. Not one or the other. I understand how hard it is when people try to force you in one box or the other, but I consider myself both and have never once thought I'm JUST one or JUST the other. It was a really weird experience for me reading this.
February 23, 2010
There is much to admire in this tiny little book. It is an ambitious novel tackling large issues (of race, sexuality, and family) with a certain subtle grace. I loved the use of multiple voices, and felt (for the most part) that each of these voices was authentic and resonant. Some of the language is simply lovely...and I was absolutely captivated by the chapters in which we hear Rachel as a child. I think the chapters in which Rachel is an adolescent, however, were a little less credible in terms of voice. There were a few clunky spots in terms of plot...but I was happy to forgive them because the book, overall, was both charming and intelligent. The novel was, at times, reminiscent of early Toni Morrison (not only in subject matter, but also in style) -- no small feat for a young novelist.
August 17, 2016
3.75 A thoughtful and beautiful book. Rachel is the daughter of an African American GI father and a Danish mother. Due to a horrible tragedy, she lives with her paternal grandmother. Slowly, the story of Rachel's mother, father, and siblings is revealed. There is an interesting parallel storyline about Jamie, a young man who witnessed the tragedy and comes to play an important role in Rachel's life. This is a sad, but also uplifting and inspiring, look at the life of a biracial teen, a girl caught between two worlds, not quite feeling at home in either one. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed, and some of the characters were underdeveloped, but still a very enjoyable read.
March 9, 2016
This a nice, lean book. I know it won a prize from Barbara Kingsolver for being socially conscious, but it didn't feel that way. That is, it is about a girl trying to find who she is, and while part of that struggle is about how the rest of the world classifies her by race, it is more than that. I feel like the descriptions of the book emphasize the racial obligations too much. The big tension in the book for me was if she was going to end up defined by her parents and their troubles. The mother's struggle to understand how the world saw her children through the lens of race was only the surface of the problem.
Anyway, the writing was average with some very beautiful moments that weren't held back by too much overwriting. I've complained before of writers who need to learn how to trim back the mediocre stuff to let the the truly brilliant stuff grow larger, and this book was a good example of that happening.
I also really liked the way references to "The Ugly Duckling" were spread throughout. The ending stumbles a little, and while not as satisfactory as one could wish, it wasn't bad. I think the resolution shouldn't have depended so much on the cathartic release of finding out what really happened the day the main character fell from the sky, because it is the obvious choice. I wish the character could have had a stronger cathartic release for herself.
Anyway, the writing was average with some very beautiful moments that weren't held back by too much overwriting. I've complained before of writers who need to learn how to trim back the mediocre stuff to let the the truly brilliant stuff grow larger, and this book was a good example of that happening.
I also really liked the way references to "The Ugly Duckling" were spread throughout. The ending stumbles a little, and while not as satisfactory as one could wish, it wasn't bad. I think the resolution shouldn't have depended so much on the cathartic release of finding out what really happened the day the main character fell from the sky, because it is the obvious choice. I wish the character could have had a stronger cathartic release for herself.
July 10, 2017
I sped through the girl who fell from the sky in two days( really less that 10 hours). The characters were real and engaging. The conflicts engrossing. Though I am not a fan of multiple points of view this structure made sense as the stories came together. The only weakness seemed to be the stereotypical approach to black people. I expected more diversity in those characters considering the story is set in Portland, Oregon. Overall,
a great read and thought-provoking.
a great read and thought-provoking.
March 18, 2010
This is a beautifully written, heartbreaking coming-of-age novel about a biracial girl searching for her own identity in the aftermath of a horrendous tragedy. A haunting first novel from author Heidi Durrow.
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