When Stars Rain Down

GIVEAWAY

JACKSON-BROWN, ANGELA

WHEN STARS RAIN DOWN

In When Stars Rain Down, Angela Jackson-Brown introduces readers to a small, Southern town grappling with haunting questions still relevant today -- and to a young woman whose search for meaning resonates across the ages.

This summer has the potential to change everything.

The summer of 1936 in Parsons, Georgia, is unseasonably hot, and Opal Pruitt senses a nameless storm brewing. She hopes this foreboding feeling won't overshadow her upcoming eighteenth birthday or the annual Founder's Day celebration in just a few weeks. She and her Grandma Birdie work as housekeepers for the white widow Miss Peggy, and Opal desperately wants some time to be young and carefree with her cousins and her friends.

But when the Ku Klux Klan descends on Opal's neighborhood, the tight-knit community is shaken in every way possible. Parson's residents -- both Black and white -- are forced to acknowledge the unspoken codes of conduct in their post-Reconstruction era town. To complicate matters, Opal finds herself torn between two unexpected romantic interests -- the son of her pastor, Cedric Perkins, and the grandson of the woman she works for, Jimmy Early Ketchums. Both young men awaken emotions Opal has never felt before.

My Review:

Heartbreaking and hopeful. I've been stunned into silence by the poignant beauty of Jackson-Brown's prose. Her words catapulted me into a world of blistering heat and aching sorrow and the loving warmth of family and friends as Opal navigates a difficult journey into womanhood.

I really am speechless since there's so much I'd like to say but am wary of posting spoilers so I can't. This would definitely make an incredible book club selection for older teens and adults alike. There is so much grit and faith and infinite wisdom within these pages. And an unflinching look at the harsh realities of racism. A timely reminder and wake up call for us in this day and age as well.

Simply stunning.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of When Stars Rain Down, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday April 24  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!