The Silver Star: A Novel

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls is a poignant and beautifully crafted story that forms a deep emotional connection between the reader and its characters. Walls brings to life the journey of two sisters, Bean and Liz, with such empathy and authenticity that their struggles and triumphs feel personal. Through their resilience in the face of abandonment and adversity, Walls explores themes of family, identity, and justice, making the reader deeply invested in their fate. The characters' emotional depth and Walls' intimate storytelling leave a lasting impression, making it a truly moving read.

Like most other reviewers, I will preface my review by stating that The Glass Castle is one of my all-time favorite books. I try to pass my copy onto anyone who will take it. I was so thrilled with GC that I purchased her follow-up Half Broke Horses, which I also thoroughly enjoyed and lent to my mother to read. Somehow last month, I stumbled upon a review of a new Jeannette Walls book and I was very excited to get my copy. It's an easy read for sure and a quick one. Overall, I liked it. It had the same feel as GC (Liz and Bean vs Lori and Jeannette, carefree Mother) and as I started to read I was excited for the adventure I was about to take part in, however it ended up feeling like I had ridden the kiddie Dragon Roller Coaster rather than the 200ft drop mega coaster, if you get what I mean. Although there are strong similarities between this book and GC, GC was more detailed and developed and really kept the reader drawn to the story. I can only guess it's because the author had so much more to go on because she had lived the story in GC, unlike this book. Each day when I picked the book up to read more about Bean & Liz's journey and then new life in Byler, I was waiting to get to the 'good part'; where the story would really take that turn into GreatBookLand, but it never did. Don't get me wrong, it's a good story and I will recommend it, but it was no sheer page turner. Level 1 Glass Castle if you will...a good starter book. One review I read said to think of The Silver Star as a prequel to what's to come and looking back at the story line and ending, I can see how this could be possible and I actually am hoping it will turn out that way. In the mean time, I will just reach over for my copy of GC when I want a good read.

In 1970, Charlotte and her two girls, Liz and "Bean," are making it on their own. When Bean was just a baby, they fled the family compound (Mayfield) in Byler, Virginia, where Charlotte grew up as one of the Holladays, the backbone of the community. But the family ties are too tight for Charlotte, who wants a more free and easy existence. She is a star. A musician. With big dreams.Unfortunately for the girls, Charlotte leaves them often to pursue her dream, sometimes for weeks at a time. But they have discovered how to fend for themselves, cooking chicken potpies for every dinner. At twelve (Bean) and fifteen (Liz), the girls are mature beyond their years in many ways, but naïve in other ways.But when Charlotte leaves them for a couple of months that turns into more, and they can sense the officials zeroing in on them, they leave a note for their mom in their own special code, and catch a bus to Virginia.Here is where their lives turn into something more than they had anticipated. Bean learns about her deceased father and meets his family; the girls discover that living in the South is quite different from California; and the culture shock is almost too much.The Silver Star: A Novel is one of those family stories that is rich in characterization, revealing much about the times and the racial tensions of a newly integrated South. Discovering how bullies can control everything about the life of a small town is only one of their lessons. What they also learn is how forming a new kind of family can change the face of it, including bringing their hermit uncle out of his reclusive ways.What happens to Liz that ignites a firestorm of lies and injustice? What will happen to finally bring Charlotte home? And will she stay?I loved this story and the unique coming-of-age moments for Liz and Bean. Narrated in Bean's first person voice, we find ourselves wrapped in the times and filled with nostalgia, even as we are also forced to face the abuses of power that test them all. Five stars.

i loved this story about two sisters trying to navigate through life without the guidance of parents. loved the family roots they eventually find and the characters we meet ..almost all the characters but of course there is always an evil presence ... a very easy read. Jeannette Walls writes with such charisma .I quite enjoy all of her books

Sometimes while we watch a movie, we tend to feel it is extremely slow but after we come out from the screens & think about it, there will be something special about the movie that will stay in our hearts. So is this book. I would rather substitute the word naturally paced rather than slowly paced, because that is the actual fact! I first felt the book is kinda boring & when will it end? But as soon as I completed the book, I started to feel why did it end so soon? Its now almost 9 hours since I had read the book & the characters are still in my mind. After watching the movie "The Glass Castle", I got an interest to explore the author "Ms.Jeannete Walls" & her world! My attempt did not fail & I am very very happy that I had bought this book. Proud to be frank that this book is also a part of my library!

Picked up and started reading this book completely by chance, and then couldn't put it down!Great story, great characters, great writing!My one complaint? Wish it had been twice as long, because I didn't want it to end!

Although a lot of the characters had recognisable traits of her characters in The Glass House, it is Jeanette Walls's magical storytelling craft that draws the reader in and carries them away on the journey of Bean Holladay. Bean's integrity, warmth and truth shine through the pages. Highly recommended.

Read Glass Castle and thought it one of the best books I have read. So the next thing was to read another by the same author and I picked this one since "Half Broke" is not available on Kindle. The style of this one leans very heavily on the style and locations of the first. So although still enjoyable, I felt slightly disappointed in it. That didn't stop me looking for the next one….but there wasn't one.