“Using clear prose and a captivating story, Heidi W. Durrow weaves a beautiful and highly memorable tale. I look forward to future novels from this vibrant new voice in literature. ”
“ [An] insightful family saga of the toxicity of racism and the forging of the self . . . Durrow brings piercing authenticity to this provocative tale, winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction.”
“Top 10 Buzz Book of 2010. ”
“[A] masterfully woven tapestry of strong characters and the circumstances that shaped them, with Rachel the one you'd most like to meet.”
“The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is seriously wonderful. I love it! This book, this story is why we read, to experience beautiful insightful story telling.”
“Wow! I read a lot of good stuff . . . and still I say: Wow! I couldn't put it down . . . when I finished I just wanted more.”
“ Durrow's novel is so beautifully written and quietly powerful I had trouble putting it down. I can't say enough about how well this book was written.”
“I found it very difficult to put this book down . . . This is a powerful read and an amazing first novel by a new voice to watch in literary fiction.”
“I read this debut novel compulsively, start to finish . . . Every book club should read this one.”
“[A]n astonishing novel. Part love story, part mystery . . . this is a book you hold to your heart.”
“An outstanding, original new voice in fiction.”
“Durrow has done what the best art can do—take terrible loss and transform it by imagination and effort into an enduring beauty. She has turned falling into flying. The book is magnificent. ”
“Like a good mystery, this book builds to the startling revelation. [O]ne can’t help but be drawn in by these characters and by the novel’s exploration of race and identity. ”
“Taut prose, a controversial conclusion and the thoughtful reflection on racism and racial identity resonate . . . as the story succeeds as both a modern coming-of-age and relevant social commentary. ”
“ The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is that rare thing: a post-postmodern novel with heart that weaves a circle of stories about race and self-discovery into a tense and sometimes terrifying whole.”
“Top Ten Promising Debut”
“Heidi Durrow's first novel stunned me, and partially broke my heart. The vivid voices kept me reading. Ms. Durrow has created a resonant world all her own.”
“Heidi Durrow is a wonderfully gifted writer who can summon a voice, a memorable character with bold, swift strokes. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is a gem.”
“Artfully constructed and beautifully written, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is at once a meditation on race and those who bridge its arbitrary distinctions, and a mystery that involves and holds the reader to the very last page. ”
“As exquisitely written as a poem . . . An achingly powerful exploration of family, love and race, from a brilliantly talented author.”
“A remarkable novel [that] unfolds its secrets with the perfect placement of a mystery.”
“Echoes of the early Toni Morrison . . . one of the most convincing, original, and moving novels in the distinguished canon of American interracial literature.”
“An unforgettable novel . . . that engages the heart.”
“[A] breathless telling of a tale we've never heard before. Haunting and lovely, pitch-perfect.”
A timely and moving bicultural coming-of-age tale about the daughter of a Danish immigrant and a black G.I. A beauty with light brown skin and blue eyes, she attracts much attention in her new home. The world wants to see her as either black or white, but that's not how she sees herself.
Meanwhile, a mystery unfolds, revealing the terrible truth about Rachel's last morning on a Chicago rooftop. Interwoven with her voice are those of Jamie, a neighborhood boy who witnessed the events, and Laronne, a friend of Rachel's mother.
Inspired by a true story of a mother's twisted love, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky reveals an unfathomable past and explores issues of identity at a time when many people are asking "Must race confine us and define us?"
MORE INFO | REVIEWS | PRE-ORDER
Winner of the 2008 Bellwether Prize for Fiction
The Bellwether Prize, established by Barbara Kingsolver and awarded in even-numbered years, is the only major North American prize that specifically advocates literary fiction addressing issues of social justice.
The prize is awarded to a previously unpublished novel representing excellence in this genre. Find out more.
