Fill the Sky

By: Katherine A. Sherbrooke

Narrated by: Valerie Gilbert

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

When Ellie's cancer exhausts the reaches of modern medicine, she travels to Ecuador with her lifelong friends, Tess and Joline, hoping that local shamans might offer a miracle. During a tumultuous week that includes strange, ancient ceremonies and a betrayal that strains their bond, each woman discovers her own deep need for healing, even the skeptic among them. Fill the Sky is about the complexity of friendship, the power of the spirit, and the quest to not simply fight death, but to shape an authentic life.

Fill the Sky has been selected as a finalist for the Mary Sarton Award for Contemporary Fiction and the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year.

©2016 Katherine A. Sherbrooke (P)2017 Katherine A. Sherbrooke

Fill the sky

Any additional comments?

Ver good story of healing and friendship with a sense of place. The details of Ecuador's physical world, its spiritual parallel and its culture - food, people, architecture - made me want to hop on a plane immediately.

Interesting listen

I have recently finished this book and found the narrator Valerie Gilbert did an excellent job with alternating between characters. However I did find at times, you could tell when the narrator either stopped reading or something as I found some background noise between chapters at times. I enjoyed the story line about going to shamans in El Salvador to rid her body of her cancer and how the women pulled together, to be there for her.
A few things That didn't sit well with this book was -
Tess seemed to give, to her own independence , it most felt like it was rushed so that the book could end and sort of , to me anyways, seem like a "settlement"

Although , Joline was the more spiritual of them all, the way the author allowed her to just forgive Ellie's situation ( without giving anything away) being she's married to her brother, didn't seem all that realistic to me.
I would've thought that maybe they would've hashed things out with a little more feeling, and stretch it out a bit longer - if you know what I'm saying especially

And the 3rd issue I had with the book ,
We're the accents. A lot of the times it sounded less Spanish or indigenous and more Russian or German. I think more time could've been spent honing and accent to be more believable, being that I speak Spanish. It didnt feel authentic and at times took me away from being in El Salvador or in any Spanish speaking country. For instance when momma rosita spoke to Ellie , the narrator would say " mi hija" Spanish speaking persons wouldn't separate those two words. They would simply say " mija". I think that's where the author maybe could've had a better understanding of the language to relay that so the narrator could understand it better too

I was given this book as a gift in exchange
for my honest review

Inspiring

A book for the thinking reader. Makes you wonder how far in distance and out of ones spiritual comfort zone you'd go for a friend facing a hard death. The personal journeys of each of the three women is very well done, and the descriptives of the beauties of Ecuador and her people are inspiring.
Excellent book!
My copy is audio interpreted by Valerie Gilbert who is simply excellent in the ability to bring life and differentiation to each character.

This has it all!

Love, Friendship. Romance. Adventure. An Affair. Cancer. A quest. Business decisions. Shaman. And all of these things happen to our three main characters who are all -- women!
This novel reminds the reader about the importance of friendship and made me question how far I would go and what I would be willing to do for my own friends. (It also made me miss my college roommates:-)) The spiritual trip they take to Ecuador is an interesting exposure to South American food, customs, and language and the descriptions really do make you want to go and visit. The reading by Valerie Gilbert was excellent for the 3 different women and for the various other characters they meet along the way in Ecuador.

Interesting journey

Loved this story of 3 friends who take a trip to Ecuador in a last attempt to help their friend. With nothing to loose and everything to gain, their journey takes them to various healers, each experience beneficial to all 3, they learn things about themselves and each other.
Their love and support for each other is amazing and what friendships should be.
The ending gives the listener a hope that all works out in the end.

Valerie Gilbert is the reason I picked up this book and she didn't disappoint. Again and again she brings the story to life with her marvellous voice and passion and this one is no different.
Thank you!