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Whistling Past the Graveyard

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Whistling Past the Graveyard

Written by: Susan Crandall
Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
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About this listen

In the summer of 1963, nine-year-old spitfire Starla Claudelle runs away from her strict grandmother's Mississippi home. Starla hasn't seen her momma since she was three - that's when Lulu left for Nashville to become a famous singer. Starla's daddy works on an oil rig in the Gulf, so Mamie, with her tsk-tsk sounds and her bitter refrain of "Lord, give me strength," is the nearest thing to family Starla has. After being put on restriction yet again for her sassy mouth, Starla is caught sneaking out for the Fourth of July parade. She fears Mamie will make good on her threat to send Starla to reform school, so Starla walks to the outskirts of town, and just keeps walking....

If she can get to Nashville and find her momma, then all that she promised will come true: Lulu will be a star. Daddy will come to live in Nashville, too. And her family will be whole and perfect. Walking a lonely country road, Starla accepts a ride from Eula, a black woman traveling alone with a white baby. The trio embarks on a road trip that will change Starla's life forever. She sees for the first time life as it really is - as she reaches for a dream of how it could one day be.

©2013 Susan Crandall (P)2013 Dreamscape Media, LLC Coming of Age Fiction Historical Fiction Social movement Civil Rights
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What the critics say

"Starla's fiery independence makes her a likable narrator." ( Publishers Weekly)
"It's not easy to keep such a young narrator convincing for more than 300 pages.... Readers will take to Starla and be caught up in her story." ( Booklist)
"A coming-of-age story as well as a luminous portrait of courage and the bonds of friendship.... Susan Crandall tells young Starla's story with pitch-perfect tone, evoking 1963 Mississippi and its struggles with a deft hand. I laughed and cried at Starla's keen observances of life and family and the sometimes blurred edges of justice. Like Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and Kathryn Stockett's The Help, Whistling Past the Graveyard is destined to become a classic." (Karen White, New York Times best-selling author)

What listeners say about Whistling Past the Graveyard

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Profile Image for Steven

Fully captivating!

A beautiful coming of age story, with perfect narration.
A tale of love and true grit told in the 60’s with brutal honesty giving us a clear lesson on the terrible struggles endured by racial divide.

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Profile Image for Laura

So authentic

I am from the south and I was raised at the time that the story takes place, so I can relate to the information there in every way. The story was wonderful and kept me totally engaged and the narrator was perfect. Her voice was exactly what a young girl would say and think. I recommend this book highly.

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Profile Image for walid

The Beauty of Our Colors

The Story is from the point of view of 10 years old girl. I loved it and felt as if I was taking the journey with the litter girl... I highly recommend you to join her journey as well

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Profile Image for MadameX

Marvellous

This book was wonderful in every way …. Storyline, character development… The narrator was perfect! Get this one. You won’t be disappointed.

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Profile Image for Daryl Behr

beautifully written

narration was excellent
beautifully written
loved the book
would highly recommend

look forward to reading this authors other books

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Beautiful coming of age story.

Told through the very credible voice of Starla, the 9-year old narrator of this story.

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