Blog Tour ~ The Stars are Fire by Anita Shreve

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host the final stop on the 

Stars are Fire Blog Tour

Little, Brown Book Group
2 May 2017

What's it all about...

1947. Fires are racing along the coast of Maine after a summer-long drought, ravaging thousands of acres, causing unprecedented confusion and fear.

Five months pregnant, Grace Holland is left alone to protect her two toddlers when her difficult and unpredictable husband Gene joins the volunteers fighting to bring the fire under control. Along with her best friend, Rosie, and Rosie's two young children, the women watch in horror as their houses go up in flames, then walk into the ocean as a last resort. They spend the night frantically trying to save their children. When dawn comes, they have miraculously survived, but their lives are forever changed: homeless, penniless, and left to face an uncertain future.

As Grace awaits news of her husband's fate, she is thrust into a new world in which she must make a life on her own, beginning with absolutely nothing; she must find work, a home, a way to provide for her children. In the midst of devastating loss, Grace discovers glorious new freedoms - joys and triumphs she could never have expected her narrow life with Gene could contain - and her spirit soars. And then the unthinkable happens, and Grace's bravery is tested as never before.

What did I think about it ...

Set in Maine USA, The Stars are Fire focuses on the effects of the devastating wildfire which raged through this area in the autumn of 1947. Homes and lives were ruined forever and whilst this catastrophic event brought more than its share of tragedy into the life of Grace Holland, it also brought an opportunity to explore a life she could never have imagined. I was entranced by Grace’s story. I wanted life to be everything she ever wanted because she deserved so much happiness and just when contentment seemed to be within her grasp something comes along to shatter her expectations.

Beautifully written from start to finish this story has all the trademarks of this author writing at her absolute best. The narrative never falters; there are no superfluous words, no unnecessary waffle, just wonderful story telling from beginning to end. The succinctness of the writing only serves to showcase the absolute strength of an author who can say so much in just a few words.

There is something both profoundly sad and hugely uplifting about The Stars are Fire which, whilst a strange dichotomy, serves to accentuate the overall strength of the story telling. The author does a fine job of allowing the main characters to evolve with such precision that you can't help but become emotionally attached to them, and even though one character, in particular, is not at all likeable, such is the power of writing that you can’t help but be moved, emotionally, by his plight. She infuses the narrative with such a sense of empathy and understanding that by the end of the novel I felt like I was saying goodbye to close friends.

I am delighted to see that the author has returned to her beloved Maine for the setting of The Stars are Fire an area which featured so prominently in her earlier books.  I am especially fond of The Pilot’s Wife and Fortunes Rock. There is no doubt that fans of Anita Shreve's excellent writing will love this book, and for those readers who haven’t read any of her work, well, picking up a copy of The Stars are Fire is a good place to start.

Best Read With...the tang of grapefruit and the smell of coffee, gently infusing

About the Author

Anita Shreve is the acclaimed author of seventeen novels, including Rescue, A Change in Altitude, Testimony, and The Pilot's Wife, which was a selection of Oprah's Book Club. She lives in Massachusetts.

Visit the author on her website  

Twitter
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My thanks to Amelia at Little, Brown for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour and for providing a copy of the book to review.

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Review ~ The Lives of Stella Bain by Anita Shreve

Little, Brown Books
MARCH 2014

I've long been a fan of Anita Shreve and fell completely in love with her earlier books, so to have a continuation, of sorts, of one of her previous stories seemed like the best of worlds. In The Lives of Stella Bain, we are reintroduced to a character from All He Ever Wanted and whilst the nod to the past is done with a remarkably light touch, there may well be an element of confusion if you ponder too much about the whys and wherefores. Personally, I think it’s best to read the story on its own merits with the occasional delight of revelation, but if you haven’t read All He Ever Wanted, then it really doesn’t matter.

Set against the backdrop of the First World War, an American woman is taken to one of the French field hospitals. At first, she has no recollection of who she is, or of why she is in such a debilitated state and even her journey to London and into the care of renowned psychologist, Doctor August Bridge, fails to elicit a definitive response. And then, softly, softly as the story starts to unfurl, we get the answers into why Stella’s life has taken such a downward turn.

As always, Anita Shreve delves into the minutiae of daily life and her sparse narrative style allows a perceptive and introspective look into the complexity of lives which are lost and broken by circumstance. Whilst in many ways this is not an exciting story, there’s no explicit drama or deliberate angst, but what you do get, is an insightful and beautifully written look at the human condition, and of the need we all have for reparation, and in to making amends for our actions, we attempt to learn more about ourselves. 

My thanks to Little, Brown Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

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About the Author

Here

Anita Shreve