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A review by book_concierge
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall
3.0
3.5***
Starla is a nine-year-old spitfire. Her Momma, left to become a famous singer when Starla was just three years old and her Daddy works on an oil rig out in the Gulf of Mexico, so Starla lives with her strict grandmother, Mamie. After being put on restriction yet again, Starla decides she’s going to go to Nashville and find her Momma. Then her Daddy can come live with them there and they’ll be a family. On the outskirts of town, she accepts a ride from Eula, a black woman driving a dilapidated pick-up truck. But Eula also has a white baby in the truck, and things get complicated quickly.
Set in 1963 Mississippi, this coming-of-age novel also treats some serious subjects – domestic abuse, alcohol abuse, racism, and child abuse. Starla is a compelling narrator, even if her understanding of issues isn’t always complete. There were several times when I was truly frightened for her, given her penchant for leaping into the fray without thinking of consequences. But this same tendency also endeared her to me; she was so brave and righteous about “what’s fair.” She was also incredibly resourceful, and fairly quick with a story (though most of the adults saw through these prevarications rather quickly).
It was a very fast read, and I was interested from beginning to end.
Starla is a nine-year-old spitfire. Her Momma, left to become a famous singer when Starla was just three years old and her Daddy works on an oil rig out in the Gulf of Mexico, so Starla lives with her strict grandmother, Mamie. After being put on restriction yet again, Starla decides she’s going to go to Nashville and find her Momma. Then her Daddy can come live with them there and they’ll be a family. On the outskirts of town, she accepts a ride from Eula, a black woman driving a dilapidated pick-up truck. But Eula also has a white baby in the truck, and things get complicated quickly.
Set in 1963 Mississippi, this coming-of-age novel also treats some serious subjects – domestic abuse, alcohol abuse, racism, and child abuse. Starla is a compelling narrator, even if her understanding of issues isn’t always complete. There were several times when I was truly frightened for her, given her penchant for leaping into the fray without thinking of consequences. But this same tendency also endeared her to me; she was so brave and righteous about “what’s fair.” She was also incredibly resourceful, and fairly quick with a story (though most of the adults saw through these prevarications rather quickly).
It was a very fast read, and I was interested from beginning to end.