Stella by Starlight
By: Sharon M. Draper / Narrated by: Heather Alicia Simms
Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
A kinda sorta split decision—but on the goooood side!
Stella by Starlight by author Sharon M. Draper was an audiobook Big Sis and I listened to together. Now, sometimes Big Sis pauses a wee bit before speaking her mind, and I generally wait to hear her opinion. This time, however? When that pause came, I SHOT right in with m’ own thoughts because I was so dad-blasted peeved that, once again, I’d read the Publisher’s Summary and had gone into the audiobook with >gasp!< EXPECTATIONS.
And see, the story begins with a nightmarish BANG! THE KLAN! are burning a cross right by the family home. Both young Stella and her brother JoJo are witness to this, and in terror, wake their parents, and a gathering of all the other Black men is convened. Okay, so the PS leads a person to belieeeeeve that dealing with the Ku Klux Klan will be taking place. And that’s what I was hoping to be listening to.
Nope.
Rather, this is a little story of little vignettes of BIG Doings for Black families, life in a small town in the 1930s.
Now, Big Sis loved it. She thought it was a fairly realistic portrayal of the indignities, the prejudice and violence lived through on a daily basis. And I agree with that; it’s just that I was >AHEM< Expecting more challenges to witness trials and tribulations that cause dilemmas, that encourage/inspire growth in our characters.
The plot? Barely one. Stella lives in her town and has these run-ins with the underbelly of life, survives them, all whilst discovering herself as a budding writer. Now, both Big Sis and I applauded Draper’s choice to craft all the horrors, being candid and honest, but pulling her punches so that all of them can be listened to by youngsters. Plenty of nightmares to be had, but no lasting trauma or damage from how the story unfolds. But I think she pulled a punch that would’ve added to the story. A dear friend of Stella’s is attacked and beaten by ugly racist white men, but after a short bit of wound-nursing, he comPLETEly bounces back to his old sassy and daring and sunshine-ish self. No question of what his envelope-pushing might get him into, no questioning of life, its fairness/unfairness. Nothing. Just bright shining smiles, saucy attitude. I felt Draper could’ve shown how violence visited upon an innocent could’ve taken longer to mend.
But she didn’t go there; so there’s that.
Onto New To Me Narrator Heather Alicia Simms and a truly AWEsome performance. Not only did she handle a large cast of characters, of all ages, of both genders, of different races, of varying temperaments, she did Gospel songs, for gosh sakes! Soooo well! It really added to the story of Lives Lived, of Days Going By, One By One. She has a lovely voice, so it worked quite well. A superb job!
Okay okay okay. So Big Sis reeeeeally Liked/Loved this. But hey! I Liked it as well. Just, I’d hoped for a more fraught plot, a plot! and fewer pulled punches.
I’m SERIOUS!
Those Publisher’s Summaries frequently cause Ooooooodles of Distress for meeeeee!!!
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