Helpful Score: 7
I just finished reading this book this week. Some books are forgotten as quickly as the cover is closed, but this is one of the memorable ones. Set in 1963 in Mississippi, this book stars a spunky nine year old girl named Starla. Love her! She is fearless, bright, and perceptive. During her adventure of running way to find her Mama, whom she believes is a famous singer in Nashville, we see the culture that the Civil Rights movement was striving to change through her eyes. Starla is a character that will stay with me a long while.
Helpful Score: 7
Absolutely one of the most enjoyable novels i've read. It takes place in the south in the 60's during the racial riots when there is much danger with whites and blacks befriending each other. The srory is about Starla a 9 year old fiesty child with a huge heart and Eula a woman with an even bigger heart so used to living with only the crumbs of life. This story is mesmerizing. It took me through places I didn't want to go and was uncomfortable reading about, it took me places that made my heart swell with happiness, it took me places I sobbed and places I laughed and it brought me to an ending that left me wishing I didn't have to leave. The book is full of characters i've come to love and hope someday there will be a follow up so I'm able to catch up with them again.
Helpful Score: 5
I very much enjoyed this book -- a real southern charmer. It was set in the 1960s during the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. The characters were unforgettable. I loved Starla the feisty 9 year old girl who was smart, perceptive, and full of vim and vinegar. Even at such a young age she knew what was wrong with her part of the world and set about to make it better. Eula the black lady who befriended Starla was sweet and kind and in the end she helped Starla's dad become a better Dad. Porter, Starla's father was a good man. And even the characters I didn't like were still described perfectly and added a lot of depth to the book. I felt like I was there and knew each and every one of the characters personally.
The author really captures what family and friendship really means and brings us together by portraying what we love and hate the most during that time period in the South. I definitely recommend this book.
The author really captures what family and friendship really means and brings us together by portraying what we love and hate the most during that time period in the South. I definitely recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 2
This book made me cry, made me mad, gave me wisdom, taught me a few lessons through the circumstances of the fantastic characters...What a WONDERFUL book this was. This is the kind of book I would re-read in a few years just to remember the wisdom shared from the characters and the great story that it is. Total 5 star read...WOW!
I'm sorry , but this book is a keeper! I want to read this over and over. It reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Secret Life of Bees.
I love when books grab my interest on page 1 and this book did just that and kept me engaged til the end. Story centers on a 9 year old Starla, who runs away from home after 1 too many punishments from her grammie, to find her momma , who she thinks is a famous singer in Nashville. Everything happens during the racial unrest in the south in the early 60's. Along her way she is befriended by Eula, a poor black woman, who becomes a substitute mother to Starla and gets her to her mom in Nashville after lots of twists and turns. Enjoyable read!! Recommend!
What a great story! First book by this author, and I had recommended it for book club. She definitely took me back to the 1960's I have heard so much about, but thankfully never experienced, growing up in the North. Little Starla, who's mother ran off to be a singer in Nashville, left with a grandmother to raise her in Mississippi, finally has had enough punishing for her childhood ways, and runs away to find her mom. Along the way she meets Eula, who despite her own problems, loves the little girl who is only looking for parental love, and the chance to be a child. This book tugged at my heart and found me teary eyed more than once.
This is an awesome story, full of adventure, love and understanding. The characters are real and the story flows from one unbelievable occurance to another.
Nine year old Starla Claudelle could make me so frustrated one minute & then so sorry for her the next while I was laughing out loud at her antics at the same time. Her know it all attitude along with a 9 year olds thought process could get her & everyone around her in more trouble than you could shake a stick at! The 1960's in Mississippi were a hotbed of racial issues & Starla couldn't grasp the dangers lurking nor could she control her redhead temper! Trying to get away from her overprotective, often abusive grandmother Starla runs away & that's where the real life emotions & situations along with her overactive imagination & leap before you look personality & sassy mouth come together to make situations even more dangerous. Starla has a lot of growing up to do. This book is a vivid reminder of the exact things children need aren't bought in a store but secured at home. Very mush destined to be a classic! I loved every emotional minute of this beautifully written book.
This is a wonderful story of a young white girl in 1963 Mississippi and the loving relationship she has with a young black woman.
This is the wonderful story of a young girl who runs away from home because of mistreatment. It takes place in Mississippi during the 1960's racial unrest. A young black woman picks her up and together they have an adventure beyond what they would expect. This book is very different from the romances that Susan Crandall usually writes. I loved this book.
One of the best books I've read! Sad, funny and inspiring. I would love to read a sequel. Starla and Eula are such endearing characters.
