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Gloomy,
Insightful,
Dramatic

8 reviews

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky
by Heidi W. Durrow

Published: 2010-01-11
Hardcover : 256 pages
15 members reading this now
47 clubs reading this now
12 members have read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 6 of 8 members
This debut novel tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I. who becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy.�

With her strict African American grandmother as her new guardian, Rachel moves to a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue ...
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Introduction

(This debut novel tells the story of Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I. who becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy.�

With her strict African American grandmother as her new guardian, Rachel moves to a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and beauty bring mixed attention her way. Growing up in the 1980s, she learns to swallow her overwhelming grief and confronts her identity as a biracial young woman in a world that wants to see her as either black or white.

In the tradition of Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, here is a portrait of a young girl? and society's ideas of race, class, and beauty. It is the winner of the Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice.




Amazon Best Books of the Month, February 2010: Early on in The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, Rachel Morse (the girl in question) wonders about being "tender-headed." It's how her grandmother chides her for wincing at having her hair brushed, but it's also a way of understanding how Rachel grapples with the world in which she landed. Her parents, a Danish woman and an African-American G.I., tried to hold her and her siblings aloft from questions of race, and their failure there is both tragic and tenderly wrought. After sustaining an unimaginable trauma, Rachel resumes her life as a black girl, an identity she quickly learns to adopt but at heart is always reconciling with the life she knew before. Heidi W. Durrow bolsters her story with a chorus of voices that often see what Rachel can't--this is particularly true in the case of Brick, the only witness to her fall. There's a poetry to these characters that draws you into their lives, making for a beautiful and earnest coming-of-age novel that speaks as eloquently to teens as it does to adults. --Anne Bartholomew

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by karen m. (see profile) 04/24/20

 
by Joel T. (see profile) 01/07/20

 
by casie d. (see profile) 07/09/19

 
  "The Girl Who Fell From The Sky"by liz p. (see profile) 02/16/17

A very dark and disturbing story of a young girl that survives a horrific accident. My bookclub did not enjoy this book at all.

 
  "What are you?"by Vivian T. (see profile) 03/21/16

What are you? For many biracial/multiracial children, this is a question that they must deal with on a regular basis. Rachel is a child that has never had to face her racial identity until after the tragic... (read more)

 
  "beautiful description of growing up biracial"by Kathleen M. (see profile) 01/23/13

This is a book worth discussing in any book club. The writing is wonderfully suited to the characters and story. While a tragic event leads to the life experiences of a young woman and others, it tells... (read more)

 
  "Shocking"by Traci C. (see profile) 06/23/12

I was a complete sucker and never guessed the ending of this book. Still can't believe it.

 
  "A good read, but not great."by Jennifer C. (see profile) 04/21/12

 
  "The Girl Who Fell From the Sky"by Milda S. (see profile) 03/06/12

The book was very dark from the beginning. It deals not only with being a child of a biracial marriage but also with addiction. The end of the book gave me hope that Rachel, the main character, would... (read more)

 
  "great read"by Amy O. (see profile) 08/16/11

enjoyed it. story is captivating, i couldn't put it down once i started reading it.

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