The Girl Who Fell from the Sky: Barbara Kingsolver-recommended novel

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

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is a beautiful novel about a biracial girl who survives a horrible tragedy and goes off to live with her grandmother in my hometown, Portland, Oregon. (I had no idea it was based in Portland when I began reading it. I picked up the recommendation from a Goodreads friend who loved it.) Durrow describes Barbara Kingsolver as her mentor, and Kingsolver provided a glowing comment for the dust jacket, so it's no surprise I liked this book. (I've always loved Kingsolver since I first read The Bean Trees years ago before most of the world had discovered her.)

I'd give this 4.5 stars. It was very sad, but wonderfully crafted. I had a hard time putting it down, and the story will stick with me for awhile.

I'd especially be curious to know what other biracial people think of it...it seems to be a very sensitive exploration of coming-of-age in a space in between the earth and the sky--especially in a wonderful but white bread city like Portland, where the city is very progressive on one hand, but segregated on another.

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