The Promise Of Stardust by Priscille Sibley – 432 pages
Book Blurb:
Matt Beaulieu was two years old the first time he held Elle McClure in his arms, seventeen when he first kissed her under a sky filled with shooting stars, and thirty-three when he convinced her to marry him. When an accident leaves Elle brain dead, Matt is devastated. Though he cannot bear the thought of life without her, he knows Elle was afraid of only one thing-a slow death. And so, Matt resolves to take her off life support. But Matt changes his mind when they discover Elle’s pregnant. While there are no certainties, the baby might survive if Elle remains on life support. Matt and his mother will be pitted against each other, fighting for what they believe is right, and what they think Elle would have wanted resulting in a controversial legal battle that will ultimately go beyond one family . . . and one single life.
My Review: 4 stars
The Promise of Stardust takes a look at the deepest of values: when does life actually start? This book has the power to spark an insane amount of discussion about pro-life, pro-choice, circumstance, legal issues, media, religion, living wills, medical directives and undoubtedly, what would you do?
Author Priscille Sibley definitely earned her place in reader’s hearts with this standout debut of a book. Picking a topic that is so ethically controversial was risky but it absolutely paid off. Weighing in on both sides of the coin through different character’s POVs made for an interesting and thought provoking book.
Weaving the past into the present so we could better understand the character’s histories was extremely well done. The love affair between Matt and his beloved Elle was perhaps a little fairytale-like, but who doesn’t adore a fairytale romance? After all, this is fiction!
Matt was definitely a complex character with so much to lose and so much to gain. Seeing Elle through his eyes was interesting, although seriously, she had to have more faults than being a slob, especially as an astronaut. That was the only part that went sour for me. I loved her brains, her dreams and her commitment to science, but for some reason the whole NASA thing just didn’t feel realistic to me. Obviously, it was easy to overlook as I was furiously flipping the pages to learn the final outcome.
Overall, this is an author to watch to see what come next.
Quotes I liked:
Mothers always worry. There’s no off switch.”
-“Isn’t it tragic that sometimes it takes grief to understand what we have held so dear?”
-Every moment is only the beginning of something new”
-“For some reason, people try to fill you with food when you’re filled with grief. I didn’t need food. I needed a reason to keep living”
-“There is uncertainty in hope, but even with its tenuous nature, it summons our strength and pulls us through fear and grief— and even death.”
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