From its opening lines "'You my lucky piece,' Grandma says....
From
its
opening
lines
``
'You
my
lucky
piece
,
'
Grandma
says
...
.
Her hand is wrapped around mine" Heidi W. Durrow pulls us into her first novel, a moving story encircling us as firmly as that protective grandmotherly grip.
Her
hand
is
wrapped
around
mine
''
Heidi
W.
Durrow
pulls
us
into
her
first
novel
,
a
moving
story
encircling
us
as
firmly
as
that
protective
grandmotherly
grip
.
When we meet Rachel Morse, the daughter of an African-American GI and a Danish woman, she is just moving into the Portland, Oregon., home of her strong-minded paternal grandmother and her warm, classy Aunt Loretta.
When
we
meet
Rachel
Morse
,
the
daughter
of
an
African-American
GI
and
a
Danish
woman
,
she
is
just
moving
into
the
Portland
,
Oregon.
,
home
of
her
strong-minded
paternal
grandmother
and
her
warm
,
classy
Aunt
Loretta
.
We soon learn that Rachel has survived a fall from a nine-story apartment building in which her mother, brother, and baby sister all died.
We
soon
learn
that
Rachel
has
survived
a
fall
from
a
nine-story
apartment
building
in
which
her
mother
,
brother
,
and
baby
sister
all
died
.
Three months earlier, Rachel's mother had left her alcoholic husband in Germany, following her "orange-haired" lover to Chicago.
Three
months
earlier
,
Rachel
's
mother
had
left
her
alcoholic
husband
in
Germany
,
following
her
``
orange-haired
''
lover
to
Chicago
.
But Nella hadn't been prepared for boyfriend's drinking and racism, or for the looks and questions she gets as the mother of three brown children.
But
Nella
had
n't
been
prepared
for
boyfriend
's
drinking
and
racism
,
or
for
the
looks
and
questions
she
gets
as
the
mother
of
three
brown
children
.
Rachel's "new-girl feeling" in her grandmother's home goes beyond her recent tragedy.
Rachel
's
``
new-girl
feeling
''
in
her
grandmother
's
home
goes
beyond
her
recent
tragedy
.
Having grown up with a Scandinavian mother in the more colorblind society of an overseas Army base, this is her first time in a mostly black community.
Having
grown
up
with
a
Scandinavian
mother
in
the
more
colorblind
society
of
an
overseas
Army
base
,
this
is
her
first
time
in
a
mostly
black
community
.
Her light-brown skin, "fuzzy" hair, and blue eyes raise questions about her racial identity that are entirely new and puzzling to her.
Her
light-brown
skin
,
``
fuzzy
''
hair
,
and
blue
eyes
raise
questions
about
her
racial
identity
that
are
entirely
new
and
puzzling
to
her
.
Starting sixth grade in her new school, Rachel notes, "There are fifteen black people in the class and seven white people.
Starting
sixth
grade
in
her
new
school
,
Rachel
notes
,
``
There
are
fifteen
black
people
in
the
class
and
seven
white
people
.
And there's me.
And
there
's
me
.
There's another girl who sits in the back.
There
's
another
girl
who
sits
in
the
back
.
Her name is Carmen LaGuardia, and she has hair like mine, my same color skin, and she counts as black.
Her
name
is
Carmen
LaGuardia
,
and
she
has
hair
like
mine
,
my
same
color
skin
,
and
she
counts
as
black
.
I don't understand how, but she seems to know."
I
do
n't
understand
how
,
but
she
seems
to
know
.
''
Several years later, in high school, her status remains uncertain.
Several
years
later
,
in
high
school
,
her
status
remains
uncertain
.
"They call me an Oreo.
``
They
call
me
an
Oreo
.
I don't want to be white.
I
do
n't
want
to
be
white
.
Sometimes I want to go back to being what I was.
Sometimes
I
want
to
go
back
to
being
what
I
was
.
I want to be nothing."
I
want
to
be
nothing
.
''
Winner of the Bellwether Prize, created by Barbara Kingsolver to celebrate fiction that addresses issues of social injustice, "The Girl Who Fell From the Sky" comes at a time when bi-racial and multicultural identity so markedly represented by President Obama is especially topical.
Winner
of
the
Bellwether
Prize
,
created
by
Barbara
Kingsolver
to
celebrate
fiction
that
addresses
issues
of
social
injustice
,
``
The
Girl
Who
Fell
From
the
Sky
''
comes
at
a
time
when
bi-racial
and
multicultural
identity
so
markedly
represented
by
President
Obama
is
especially
topical
.
But set in the 1980s and focusing on one unusually sympathetic girl overcoming family tragedy and feeling her way through racial tensions, Durrow's novel surpasses topicality.
But
set
in
the
1980s
and
focusing
on
one
unusually
sympathetic
girl
overcoming
family
tragedy
and
feeling
her
way
through
racial
tensions
,
Durrow
's
novel
surpasses
topicality
.
Like Rachel, Durrow is the light-brown-skinned, blue-eyed daughter of a Danish mother and an African-American father enlisted in the Air Force.
Like
Rachel
,
Durrow
is
the
light-brown-skinned
,
blue-eyed
daughter
of
a
Danish
mother
and
an
African-American
father
enlisted
in
the
Air
Force
.
With degrees from Stanford, Columbia Journalism School, and Yale Law School, it's no wonder she gives her heroine discipline and brains.
With
degrees
from
Stanford
,
Columbia
Journalism
School
,
and
Yale
Law
School
,
it
's
no
wonder
she
gives
her
heroine
discipline
and
brains
.
Rachel's life, however, is clearly not Durrow's.
Rachel
's
life
,
however
,
is
clearly
not
Durrow
's
.
No, there's alcohol and drug addiction; deaths by fire, trauma, and infection.
No
,
there
's
alcohol
and
drug
addiction
;
deaths
by
fire
,
trauma
,
and
infection
.
There are mothers who lose their children, and a saintly drug counselor who loses his beloved girl-friend.
There
are
mothers
who
lose
their
children
,
and
a
saintly
drug
counselor
who
loses
his
beloved
girl-friend
.
Through it all, what makes Durrow's novel soar is her masterful sense of voice, her assured, delicate handling of complex racial issues and her heart.
Through
it
all
,
what
makes
Durrow
's
novel
soar
is
her
masterful
sense
of
voice
,
her
assured
,
delicate
handling
of
complex
racial
issues
and
her
heart
.
After hearing the blues music for the first time, Rachel feels what her mother called hyggeligt "something like comfort and home and love all rolled into one."
After
hearing
the
blues
music
for
the
first
time
,
Rachel
feels
what
her
mother
called
hyggeligt
``
something
like
comfort
and
home
and
love
all
rolled
into
one
.
''
She wonders what might have happened if her mother had known about such soulful music, "that sometimes there's a way to take the sadness and turn it into a beautiful song."
She
wonders
what
might
have
happened
if
her
mother
had
known
about
such
soulful
music
,
``
that
sometimes
there
's
a
way
to
take
the
sadness
and
turn
it
into
a
beautiful
song
.
''
This, of course, is precisely what Durrow has done in this powerful book: taken sadness and turned it into a beautiful song.
This
,
of
course
,
is
precisely
what
Durrow
has
done
in
this
powerful
book
:
taken
sadness
and
turned
it
into
a
beautiful
song
.
From its opening lines "'You my lucky piece,' Grandma says.... Her hand is wrapped around mine" Heidi W. Durrow pulls us into her first novel, a moving story encircling us as firmly as that protective grandmotherly grip.  When we meet Rachel Morse, the daughter of an African-American GI and a Danish woman, she is just moving into the Portland, Oregon., home of her strong-minded paternal grandmother and her warm, classy Aunt Loretta. We soon learn that Rachel has survived a fall from a nine-story apartment building in which her mother, brother, and baby sister all died. Three months earlier, Rachel's mother had left her alcoholic husband in Germany, following her "orange-haired" lover to Chicago. But Nella hadn't been prepared for boyfriend's drinking and racism, or for the looks and questions she gets as the mother of three brown children.  Rachel's "new-girl feeling" in her grandmother's home goes beyond her recent tragedy. Having grown up with a Scandinavian mother in the more colorblind society of an overseas Army base, this is her first time in a mostly black community. Her light-brown skin, "fuzzy" hair, and blue eyes raise questions about her racial identity that are entirely new and puzzling to her.  Starting sixth grade in her new school, Rachel notes, "There are fifteen black people in the class and seven white people. And there's me. There's another girl who sits in the back. Her name is Carmen LaGuardia, and she has hair like mine, my same color skin, and she counts as black. I don't understand how, but she seems to know." Several years later, in high school, her status remains uncertain. "They call me an Oreo. I don't want to be white. Sometimes I want to go back to being what I was. I want to be nothing."  Winner of the Bellwether Prize, created by Barbara Kingsolver to celebrate fiction that addresses issues of social injustice, "The Girl Who Fell From the Sky" comes at a time when bi-racial and multicultural identity so markedly represented by President Obama is especially topical.  But set in the 1980s and focusing on one unusually sympathetic girl overcoming family tragedy and feeling her way through racial tensions, Durrow's novel surpasses topicality.  Like Rachel, Durrow is the light-brown-skinned, blue-eyed daughter of a Danish mother and an African-American father enlisted in the Air Force. With degrees from Stanford, Columbia Journalism School, and Yale Law School, it's no wonder she gives her heroine discipline and brains.  Rachel's life, however, is clearly not Durrow's. No, there's alcohol and drug addiction; deaths by fire, trauma, and infection. There are mothers who lose their children, and a saintly drug counselor who loses his beloved girl-friend. Through it all, what makes Durrow's novel soar is her masterful sense of voice, her assured, delicate handling of complex racial issues and her heart.  After hearing the blues music for the first time, Rachel feels what her mother called hyggeligt "something like comfort and home and love all rolled into one." She wonders what might have happened if her mother had known about such soulful music, "that sometimes there's a way to take the sadness and turn it into a beautiful song." This, of course, is precisely what Durrow has done in this powerful book: taken sadness and turned it into a beautiful song.