Stars of Alabama by Sean Dietrich

Stars of Alabama by Sean Dietrich – 352 pages

Book Blurb:

When fifteen-year-old Marigold becomes pregnant amid the Great Depression, she is rejected by her family and forced to fend for herself. And when she loses her baby in the forest, her whole world turns upside down. She’s even more distraught upon discovering she has an inexplicable power that makes her both beautiful and terrifying—and something of a local legend. Meanwhile, migrant workers Vern and Paul discover a violet-eyed baby and take it upon themselves to care for her. The men soon pair up with a widow and her two children, and the misfit family finds its way in fits and starts toward taking care of each other. As survival brings one family together, a young boy finds himself with nary a friend to his name as the dust storms rage across Kansas. Fourteen-year-old Coot, a child preacher with a prodigy’s memory, is on the run with thousands of stolen dollars—and the only thing he’s sure of is that Mobile, Alabama, is his destination.

My Review: 4 stars – Guest Review

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Stars of Alabama is a wonderfully told, heartfelt story with strong and endearing characters. There are three major characters and three parallel, separate, and distinct storylines in this book. The chapters are extremely short, generally ranging from two to five pages, which makes for an easy read. The story brings together a cast of characters whose lives seem to be unconnected.

All of the diverse characters in this book were colorful, vividly drawn, down to earth, engaging, endearing, and relatable. Their personalities jumped off of the pages. Each reader will have their own particular favorites, but there was something I loved about most of the characters including Vern, Paul, Marigold, Ruth, and Coot and even Louisville, the dog! Even though the stories jumped back and forth, there was still enough detail about each of the characters and their stories for the reader to feel connected. Although there were many characters, it was easy to follow the storylines and to keep up with all of the people. The friendship between Vern and Paul was particularly moving.

The stories increased my knowledge about a variety of topics and life-styles, such as evangelists, preachers, faith healing/revivals, migrant workers, and brothels to name a few. The description of the environment and the elements of nature were detailed and moving, particularly the imagery of life in Kansas during the Dustbowl. I was also transported to the deep South. Many of the characters dealt with insurmountable poverty and faced hardships, but through love, friendship and perseverance were able to rise above their obstacles. They created families from “love” rather than from “blood.”

When I first started this book, it didn’t seem cohesive, and it felt like I was reading three separate short stories, but the day- to- day lives of these characters finally intersected, and it was worth the wait. I loved the characters so much, that each one could have been the focus of the entire book. There were so many themes that included: love, friendship, family, hope, healing, and the resilience of the human spirit. In spite of obstacles, all of the characters rose above terrible personal circumstances, while never giving up hope for a better life. This novel was warm, uplifting, and memorable. I haven’t typically gravitated toward southern literature, but this book showed me what I’ve been missing. I highly recommend it. Review by Guest Fairy Ronna.

Quotes I liked:

I think we all just want someone to listen to us.”

“…his own warm memories were a lie. Time had a way of softening harsh things.”