The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

A unique look into someone else's world

Ms. Durrow gives the reader a unique look into the world of a biracial child. The questions they ask themselves and the questions that are asked of them by others are exposed. She keeps the reader on the edge so that they want to find out what is going to happen next. This book is great for adults and pre teens.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Short but insightful.

Rachel is a biracial girl with light skin and blue eyes. She is also the only member of her family that survived a fall from a Chicago Housing Authority building. Did the mother and children jump, or were they pushed? Each chapter is a different character's voice revealing a little more of the mystery. As the truth is slowly revealed we gain insight into the lives of each character. Rachel is an especially poignant character. The characters were well drawn and I liked the format. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Putting Broken Lives Back Together

Durow's book is thoughtfully written, by a young woman who has had to deal with many of the same questions as the main character, in regard to her own identity as a biracial person who straddles the lines of ethnicity. The book deals well with the issue by placing the main character in somewhat of a "fish out of water" situation, and she finds herself suddenly living in the black community for the first time.

The moral of the book applies to all, not just those in the black community. Who we are transcends our environment, with the artificially created boundaries that have been constructed for us.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky: A page turner luminous and deep.

The dream-like beauty and the poetic voices of the narrators drew me in from the first page. It was difficult to put down. I found myself reading The Girl Who Fell from the Sky while walking in the rain-and not noticing the rain. It's part mystery, part coming of age story. Within this context, Durrow explores the complexities of identity, writing with striking honesty and bravery. She truly captures the inner workings of a thoughtful, intelligent child trying to figure out who she is and her place within the world. The protagonist, Rachel, often faces conflicting information, especially when it comes to identity, and how being biracial fits within the narrow categories of race. One of the passages that struck me deeply is when Rachel says to herself: "I learn that black people don't have blue eyes. I learn that I am black. I have blue eyes. I put all these new facts into the new girl."

I found The Girl Who Fell from the Sky to be an answer to Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. Whereas in The Bluest Eye, Pecola, a neglected and abused black girl wishes for blue eyes to make her beautiful so people will love her, in The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, Rachel survives a terrible family tragedy, and because of her blue eyes and light skin, is ostracized and distrusted, and singled out for unwanted attention.

Durrow gives each character a voice filled with grace and depth from their very different perspectives. Each of them contributes their stories to the puzzle of Rachel's tragic past, as well as her confusing present, creating a rich mosaic of haunting beauty that will stay with you long after you finish her story.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

As a biracial person, I really enjoyed this book. It explores th

As a biracial person, I really enjoyed this book. It explores the questions and feelings a child/teen would have while growing up. Sometimes you may not feel you are part of your race because you are mixed and you try to find a place you belong. I enjoyed how everyone's story connected in some way. I would suggest this book to my friends!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

just finished

this is a good book. it is a touching story.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Girl Who Fell From The Sky

Here is a biracial girl that survives a tremendous fall that kills her mother and two brothers. All her life she was taught to perceive herself as white, but after moving halfway across the country to live with her grandmother, she now is told to be black. As Rachel asks in the book and what I thought to myself; what does color have to do with it. Why can't she be herself? Each chapter of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is told by a different person's point of view and at times had me confused. Although a tough subject, this was a light read, but I didn't feel connected to the characters.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Chose it for my book club

The characters are well described - I felt like I was "in" the book. The dilemma of children of mixed race is well delineated here, and makes me wish that we were all blind to the outer appreaance of the people we deal with.

Uniquely and wonderfully written

The story is unique and questions but does not answer how we define ourselves and who we are. However, it keeps the question alive throughout and in a small way deals with these issues for all of us.

Interesting

Would have liked to know more

This is a page turner - excellent!

Some of the action takes place in Portland, Oregon. A family's disintegration and healing is narrated by a young girl. I liked the way you got bits and pieces of "the event" from everyone's perspective.

I'd read this again

This is an inspiring story about a young girl who survives a horrible tragedy and goes on to become a young woman. There are all types of social issues in this book including racial and biracial, abuse, drugs, divorce, and teen-age angst. The growth of the girl and the sources of her support while still dealing with all these issues is most up-lifting, and just a very good read in not so many pages. I highly recommend it; I think some teens might enjoy it as well.

Great Book

See my review on my Shelfari page: /jazmynmarie

Very Emotional

Not light reading but deep reading. You wish you could step inside the pages and do something to help. I do recommend the book as it does typify the actions of one who cannot see beyond the now ......

Sad!

This book was so sad! As a mother who fiercly loves her son, I can't comprehend the actions of the mother in the story. As a biracial woman I can relate to what Rachel felt trying to understand how to be "black". I agree with other comments about character development, it was missing something. But maybe that is the point. Nella was missing something, Roger missed something, leaving Rachel missing it too... Dont read if u feel melancholy!

Needed More Depth

I found this book to be completely sophomoric. The premise of the story was good and deserved more depth. More character development would've made this a very good book. I felt that the author was way too vague and skimmed over the characters; I really didn't appreciate the writing style at all. I will give this book to my seventh grader for independent reading and see what he thinks of it, though.

Left wanting more

A sad and heartwrenching story. I enjoyed the story but I had so many unanswered questions by the end of the book. With more character/story development I would have loved this book even more.

Icredible! Best read in a long time!

No text was provided for this review.

okay! could have ended better

its a strange read, intriguing nonetheless. i wish it would have ended better.

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

The book was okay, not great. I know this is a subject matter that is rarely dealt with. The author does a fair job with the subject matter. For me, the story moved rather slowly. Definetely not one for the beach. The story is melancholy in nature to me. It is a sad woe of a bi-racial child who survives a fall from a building in which her mom and siblings end up dying. She goes to live with her grandmother and her life is chronicled as she grows and matures in her new environment. I think the character development is weak and the plot moves rather slow. The dialogue does not pop either. It is not a horrible book but there is so much out there that I want to be captivated and engaged for most of the book.