Stars in the Grass ~ Review

Stars in the Grass
By Ann Marie Stewart

Abby McAndrews's world is perfect until one day. What should have been a happy time of making memories that would bring a smile for years to come becomes an event that could break not only her but her family forever. The summer of 1970 turns Abby's nine year old world upside down and she realizes all too clearly the fragility of life.

This is a book that will touch the reader on an emotional level as Abby, her brother Matt, and her parents come to terms with the loss that they never expected and try to go from five to four. But the loss brings with it a lot of what-ifs. And a life of what-ifs brings feelings of guilt, anger, and fears.

Stars in the Grass is the year that follows. As everyone deals with the loss differently Abby and Matt at time feel as if they have been lost to the dead - that they no longer matter and no one would hear them even if they knew had to express what they are feeling.

This book will move you to tears, or at least make your eyes well as this family struggles. Though one could never say "I know what you are going through" one could at least be aware of the struggles and pain that one going through a similar situation might be experiencing. Highly recommend this book for those who want an emotional component to their reading. And it might be a good idea to have a few tissues nearby while reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.


About the Book:
The idyllic world of nine-year-old Abby McAndrews is transformed when a tragedy tears her family apart. Before the accident, her dad, Reverend John McAndrews, had all the answers, but now his questions and guilt threaten to destroy his family. Abby’s fifteen-year-old brother, Matt, begins an angry descent as he acts out in dangerous ways. Her mother tries to hold her grieving family together, but when Abby’s dad refuses to move on, the family is at a crossroads.

Set in a small Midwestern town in 1970, Abby’s heartbreaking remembrances are balanced by humor and nostalgia as her family struggles with—and ultimately celebrates—an authentic story of faith and life after loss.