THE STAR THAT ALWAYS STAYS, by Anna Rose Johnson, Holiday House, July 12, 2022, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)
A teenager’s life is turned upside down when her mother remarries and moves her family to the city in The Star That Always Stays, by Anna Rose Johnson.
Growing up on Beaver Island, Grand-père told Norvia stories — stories about her ancestor Migizi, about Biboonke-o-nini the Wintermaker, about the Crane Clan and the Reindeer Clan. He sang her songs in the old language, and her grandmothers taught her to make story quilts and maple candy. On the island, Norvia was proud of her Ojibwe heritage.
Things are different in the city. Here, Norvia’s mother forces her to pretend she’s not Native at all — even to Mr. Ward, Ma’s new husband, and to Vernon, Norvia’s irritating new stepbrother. In fact, there are a lot of changes in the city: ten-cent movies, gleaming soda shops, speedy automobiles, ninth grade. It’s dizzying for a girl who grew up on the forested shores of Lake Michigan.
Despite the move, the upheaval, and the looming threat of world war, Norvia and her siblings — all five of them — are determined to make 1914 their best year ever. Norvia is certain that her future depends upon it… and upon her discretion.
But how can she have the best year ever if she has to hide who she truly is? —Synopsis provided by Holiday House
The Star That Always Stays is the sort of book you feel privileged to have read. It has the same magical coming-of-age feel that Betty Smith so perfectly captured in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Author Anna Rose Johnson transports readers to early 1900s Michigan as she explores broader themes of racism and divorce against the backdrop of first crushes, friendship and family dynamics. Johnson’s thoughtful prose is warm and inviting. And her inclusion of popular literary characters of the time — Patty Fairfield, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Pollyanna — is inspired.
There’s an authenticity to The Star That Always Stays that is weighted in truth. Norvia’s story is inspired by Johnson’s own family history. Johnson built her story around real people and places, and the depths of her research shines. Her imagining of Norvia’s life is beautiful, at times heartbreaking, and filled with joy.
The Star That Always Stays is one of those books that you want to start over once you finish it. It’s heartfelt and lovely and should appeal to young adults as well as an older audience.
Copyright © 2022 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
