Girl Who Fell from the Sky

By: Heidi Durrow

Narrated by: Karen Murray, Emily Bauer, Kathleen McInerney

Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

A timely and moving bicultural coming-of-age tale, based on a true story and told by an author who has struggled with the same issues as her protagonist.

The daughter of a Danish immigrant and a black G.I., Rachel survives a family tragedy only to face new challenges. Sent to live with her strict African-American grandmother in a racially divided Northwest city, she must suppress her grief and reinvent herself in a mostly black community. 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?"

©2009 Original material © 2009 Heidi W. Durrow. Recorded by arrangement with Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. (P)2009 (P) 2009 HighBridge Company.

Critic Reviews

“[A] breathless telling of a tale we’ve never heard before. Haunting and lovely, pitch-perfect.” (Barbara Kingsolver)

Prompts You to Examine Cultural Stereotypes

I disagree with the other review that is posted in terms of the critique of the characters because I found their experiences and perspectives to be very thought-provoking. As I listened to the text, I didn't focus solely on the written (or spoken in this case) word. Instead, I took the opportunity to step into the shoes of various minorities and view the world through their eyes. What an enlightening encounter to peek into the lives of those who experience the world and differently than I.

With this approach, I found a realistic perspective of the ways in which my diverse group of students may experience the world and the stereotypes into which they are often placed by society. This was also an opportunity for me to examine my own unconscious perceptions of stereotypes. It is uncommon for a book to afford such an opportunity to its readers.

I would recommend this book to all educators, especially those who work with a diverse population of students. While I do agree with the other review in terms of the lack of development of the plot, I feel that this is midigated by the chance to view the world through someone else's experiences.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

meh

I never really believed the stories, or the characters. The 'pretend' mystery was not such a mystery in the end. Did she or didn't she jump? By the time the mystery is solved, this reader no longer cared.
None of the characters were developed in full and so we're left to wonder what on earth made them so messed up. So much of their misery (at least the adults) is self-inflicted, so it's hard to feel pity. The children turn out beautiful and talented anyway ("Brick", and Rachel).
This book would have been more effective as a short story. Indeed, it would have been more effective with an editor. When the author refers to "Jamie-who-was-really-James" for the thirteenth time in two paragraphs, I was gnashing my teeth with irritation!!
There was a lot of writing like this. "I'm making a point here, are you listening reader? because I'm being so erudite and stating things so poetically". The writing is very self-conscious, and the point the author was trying to make was never well realized in the characters or the plot. "It's hard to be of mixed race"? "It's hard to have been the victim of an attempted murder by a messed-up mother"? I lost interest in trying to figure it out. This book was unsatisfying.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Underwhelming

I struggled with this book. Between the lackluster reading and writing, it was a bust.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Terribly uninspired plot.

Trite is an understatement. I do not recommend this book. The story line is terribly predictable. The characters are not fully formed and the performance is mediocre at best.

Beautifully Written

Wonderful narration. This story really resonated with me since I have a 12 year old daughter.

Sad and frustrating

The course of events that frame this story are sad. All the other junk that gets piled on Rachel is just frustrating. By that I mean, it's frustrating to hear a story unfold and know that the characters are not getting what they truly need and even more frustrating that it does not have to be that way. Sometimes it feels like humanity has the same core story (with a myriad of variations) of hurt, dysfunction, loss of hope and that collectively we never learn and grow (I realize not all people or stories are dysfunctional, but too many still are). That lack of moving forward makes me sad for all of us.

Book Club Choice and A Nice Surprise

Would you try another book from Heidi Durrow and/or the narrators?

Yes

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The ending seemed a bit disappointing. I would have liked to know more about what happened after they got a bit older.

What three words best describe the narrators’s voice?

decent , plain, acceptable

Was Girl Who Fell from the Sky worth the listening time?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Enjoyed the sequence of events and the mysterious factor.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

depressing

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

It has a purpose, probably educational. Someone trying to educate themselves on diversity might find it useful.

Would you ever listen to anything by Heidi Durrow again?

No.

Would you be willing to try another one of the narrators’s performances?

No.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Sadness and disappointment.

Any additional comments?

I got this for my book club. I prefer to pleasure read.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Too slow

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not my style of writting. Took a long time to get interesting. This was a book club selection and most of the members said that they did not finish the book because it was boaring. Did not grab your interest in first half of book so folks just could not muster the energy to complete it.

Has Girl Who Fell from the Sky turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not entirely, just need to work at building a compelling story that readers will find new and diffrent.

What three words best describe the narrators’s voice?

Can't remember. The whole experience was not memoriable.

Could you see Girl Who Fell from the Sky being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Possibly, they can do a lot with acting and special effects these days.

0 of 2 people found this review helpful