Review -- "The Girl Who Fell From The Sky"

The debut novel by Heidi Durrow explores issues of race and culture as she tells the story of Rachel who goes to live with her paternal grandmother after her mother and two siblings tragically fall to their death from atop of the Chicago housing project where they lived.

Rachel is biracial and bi-cultural: her Danish mother is white and her American father is black. However, Rachel does not know she is black until she comes to live with her black grandmother in Portland, Oregon, and everyone around her defines who she should be. Rachel reflects on her first day at school: "I am light-skinned-ed. That's what the other kids say. And I talk white. I think new things when they say this," and "I learn that black people don't have blue eyes. I learn that I am black. I have blue eyes. I put all of these facts into the new girl."

The book is written from the first person perspective of Rachel, but the story alternates with views from Brick, a boy who mistakenly thought Rachel's brother was a bird when he "fell from the sky."  Brick travels from Chicago to Portland to relay a message to Rachel from her father who has abandoned her after the tragedy. The reader gets a glimpse into the mind of Rachel's mother, Nella, through the writings in her diary, which shed some light on what drove her to the roof to commit an unspeakable act for a mother. There is also the perspective of Laronne, a black woman who is Nella's boss, who is notified about the family tragedy.  Durrow presents well developed perspectives from Rachel, Nella and Brick, however, Laronne's character is one-dimensional, flat and not developed.  In fact, it detracts more than it adds to the story. 

Rachel endures a painful journey as she struggles for self-identity. It is a journey that apparently neither her mother or father had prepared her for nor could they handle themselves. For example Rachel's mother Nella writes in her diary of Rachel's father Roger, "Roger was never black. He was charming and fun and handsome," "When he said but you cannot be pregnant, we cannot get maried, and when I said why not he said cause you are white and I am not. I did not know that was a problem."

However, Rachel learns that race is a problem, and the black girl with the blue eyes does not fit neatly into any group. She has no friends as the black girls don't like her and tell her she acts like she is white. The white kids see her as black. Boys see her as "exotic" including a white boyfriend who calls her his "mocha" girlfriend and states "you're different anyway, you know? It's like you're black but not really black." Her loneliness and isolation often leads her to confuse love with sex, and her grandmother warns her to leave the men alone as "they don't know what you're worth." She also tries to hang onto her Danish culture by remembering snippets of the language. However, she laments "I don't want being Danish to be something that I can put on and take off." Throughout the book, Rachel strives to be a "whole" person made up of her separate and distinct parts.

Durrow's writing is eloquent with great dialogue. The characters often speak in few words, but convey deep meaning and understanding of the issues they grapple with in their daily lives as they navigate the minefield of race in America.

Everyone seems to have a plan for her future, but as Rachel brilliantly states in those dreams, "there's a low sky." The book ends with Rachel's realization that "I'm not the color of my skin. I'm a story. One with a past and a future unwritten."

The message of the book transcends race, culture and gender.  The lesson for everyone is do not let others define you, but strive to be the person you want to be. 

"Have Mercy" now available on Kindle!!!

Just want to share some exciting news -- my novel, "Have Mercy" is now available on Kindle!! There are still a few hard copies of the book available for sale on Amazon.com and other book sellers, but it is now widely available for e-readers on Kindle.

After buying a Kindle a few months ago, and having people ask me whether my book was available on Kindle, I started thinking that maybe I should take that leap to digital publishing. I went to Amazon's website and explored how to make my book available on Kindle.  Surprising the process was very easy with just a few steps. What was more challenging was transferring my book from floppy disk (yes, it was on a floppy) to a flash drive. The computer I now have, like many new computers, does not have a floppy drive. Thanks to the local FedEx Kinkos, I was able to use its computer to transfer my book into the 21st century digital age!

Within 24 hours my book was available for sale on Kindle. For those who have not read the book yet and have a Kindle, I encourage you to check it out. Here's a brief synopsis:

"Sherice Watson is an assistant district attorney who struggles with the dilemma of prosecuting Anika Brown, a 14-year-old girl, for murder. Sherice is a "rising star" in the office as she has prosecuted numerous homicides and has never lost a case. Anika is a shy, timid girl whose young life has been filled with violence, abandonment and disappointment. As the case unfolds, Sherice realizes that 'equal justice for all' is sometimes elusive."

Hope you enjoy "Have Mercy" and thanks for your support!!

Tina