A Family Struggles to Recover from Tragedy

Nine-year-old Abby thinks her father, a preacher, has all the answers until tragedy strikes. The family is on vacation enjoying the beach. Josh, her four-year-old brother, is tired. Matt, her older brother, volunteers to carry him, but John decides to carry Josh himself. As they walk along the road to their cottage, a car burst on them striking John in the legs. Josh goes flying, hits his head on the pavement, and is killed. The family is stunned. They can’t believe what happened.

When they return home, the tragedy remains with them. John retreats from the family and God. With John unavailable, Matt begins a destructive course of action that leads to more tragedy. Abby watches her family dissolve around her, not knowing what to do. Her mother, Renee, knows they need to move on from this tragedy, but she, too, is stuck.

This is a beautiful, sad, emotional story told from the viewpoint of nine-year-old Abby. She is a thoroughly believable character. She watches what goes on around her, not really knowing how to interpret it. It’s a reminder that when tragedy strikes, parents need to be mindful of how their behavior is affecting the children.

The story is one of faith. John, the father, travels a long road to come back to his family and regain his faith. It makes you want to cry, but it is also a heart warming story of how the family sticks together in this dark period.

I highly recommend this book. It’s well written. The setting draws you in and serves as a good background for the characters. However, the best part of the book is the light shown on a family in tragedy and recovery.

I received this book from Shiloh Run Press for this review.

There are a couple of things you’ll want to do before you start reading this book. The first is to be in a quiet, comfortable spot and secondly make sure you have some tissue handy because you’re going to cry.
The story is told by nine-year-old Abby and what an emotional story it is. A family struck by tragedy and how it affects each member is heart wrenching This book will remind you just how fragile life is and never take anyone or anything for granted.
The author has a gift for drawing the reader in with her vivid descriptions and her realistic characters. I rooted for this family to come to terms with their loss and to be a family unit once more.
Kudos to Ann Marie Stewart on her debut novel.
I received a complimentary copy of Stars in the Grass from the publisher and have given my honest opinion.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I was approached to read this book. It is a very heart-wrenching look at how grief can affect a family when tragedy strikes. It had a unique point of view, and felt very realistic, but I was ultimately forcing my way through the story. I found it to be a very dull, but well-written read.

It does have a faith aspect, so I would definitely recommend it for church libraries, but I'm not really sure I'd recommend it to a casual reader.

In a word I would say that Stars in the Grass is riveting. If you were to only read the prologue and the epilogue you would think that the book contains a lovely story about an ordinary family. You would think that life was an easy thing for them, full of funny scenarios and beautiful moments that made for an unbreakable family bond.

What is contained on the pages between those two portions is more realistic. Life is unpredictable. One moment you think things couldn't be more perfect and then out of nowhere things suddenly change. That's how a lazy vacation day happened for the McAndrews family. One moment they were leasurely walking along the roadside after spending a day at the beach and then suddenly their lives were changed completely and forever.

The story is told through the voice and perspective of Abby. She's a darling nine-year-old girl that suddenly finds herself carrying the weight of her family on her shoulders. In the midst of all the grief she gets lost and the story of how she makes it through is heartbreaking at times. I found myself wanting to reach into the story and hold her tight.

While this is a story of tragedy and contains very depressing moments there is also a consistent glimmer of hope throughout. I found it interesting to look in at this family from the outside. As the reader I was able to see how the family was surrounded and loved even when they didn't have the capacity to accept and flourish in that love. In a note from the author she expresses that she hopes that the reader will see their story in Abby's. I certainly did and I think you will too.

This is Ann Stewart's debut novel and I am looking forward to reading her next. Her writing style evokes strong emotions and as the reader you can't help but be drawn into the lives of the characters. I'm looking forward to sharing this book with my reading group. If you have a book club there are discussion questions in the back that would make for some deep and thought provoking discussion.

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart is the story of nine year old Abby McAndrews and her family. While on vacation in the summer of 1970, the family suffers a devastating loss which lives the family scrambling to learn to live in this new life. Her mother, Renee, seems determine to grieve and move on. Her father, John, seems stuck in that moment and refuses to return to his life and job as before. Her older brother, Matt, begins down a destructive path. And Abby is trying to makes sense of everything around her as well as process her own grief and sense of guilt. Told in a year’s time, the family goes through the holidays and community events trying to live life as before. With each passing day, the family tensions grow more and more until the threat of explosion is imminent. Can the family come together and heal? Or will they be torn apart by their grief?
Stars in the Grass is a story of grief and healing. Even though it takes place in 1970/1971, the story could easily happen today. The different responses to grief are very real and the pain seems to leap off the page straight to the reader’s heart. The reader will ache with the Renee, John, Matt and Abby as they try to make sense of what happen. The reader will cry tears of sadness with the family and they will laugh with them as they seem to come to grips with their new reality. I recommend Stars in the Grass as a story of grief and healing in the face of unspeakable tragedy and how those around you can help you heal.

Stars in the Grass
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An amazing tale of one family's harrowing journey through loss, told from nine year old Abby's point of view. As Abby's father, Rev. MacAndrews, flounders,unable to be the anchor his family needs, his wife Reneé attempts to pull the family together. Abby wanders in a confused cloud through the days while her older teenaged brother, Matt, flirts with trouble.

With Stars in the Grass, Stewart is sure to become an author of note! Her ability to create in the reader the various,intense emotions of each family member is terrific. I cried the whole first quarter of the book. I wondered if I would be as wise as one of Abby's caring teachers. I wondered why Abby's mom would push her dad so hard at times...couldn't she see what she was doing? Would I have closed out my family like Abby's dad? In short, I felt every emotion Stewart's characters experienced and lived this year of their lives with them. What a year it was!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review, and all opinions are solely my own.

For starters let me say that this book is very well written, the family and other characters felt very real. Ann Marie Stewart has taken on a very difficult subject in writing Stars in the Grass. This is not typically the kind of book I read. I had a lump in my throat the entire time I was reading and for a long time after. The story is told by nine-year-old Abby after the tragic loss of her three-year-old brother Joel. Big brother Matt is getting into trouble, Dad has stopped preaching, Mom is trying to hold it together and move on and Abby is seeing everything. At times she seems to be the most adult of the family, placing blame on the person driving the car. The 70's nostalgia was pleasant and did remind me of a certain innocence of the time. I liked how Abby was glad that her family was Presbytery not Baptist, and how she observed people in the church from the balcony, counting bald heads and changing words to hymns.
As the story went on, I was left wondering why the grandparents had not come sooner, they came when Abby was born and her mother was dealing what we now call Post-Partum depression and stayed for a month. It seemed un-natural to me that they wouldn't come as the family was falling apart.
This book gives a view of grief and how it affects each family member differently. Others may enjoy this book.
You may ask why I chose to read it if it's not my kind of book, it was recommended as a book I might like so I took a chance. I was not given a description.

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart is an amazing journey of a family through the valley of the shadow of death. Abby and her family had gone on vacation for a wedding but were coming home for a funeral. When tragedy strikes a family, how do they react? Stewart writes a gut-wrenching account of what death can do to a family, a family that believes in God, even teaches about God to others. What happens when there are no answers, only questions? Is faith gone? Will running away help? Will there ever be healing? Will grief and guilt tear the family apart? The author gives such a realistic view into this family and what grief does to each of them. They've lost a son and brother, can they find the Comforter? Abby, with fears too big for her heart. Matt, with guilt that elicits dangerous behaviors. Mom and Dad, with such different ways of grieving that their one-ness, their family, may be lost forever. The story is of palpable grief seen through the eyes of Abby, a 9-year-old girl who needs to know that life can have hope, that stories can be written anew. This character driven book reveals the heart of pain and the hope of healing and brought this reader to the brink of tears right from the beginning. A wonderfully moving story that will stay with you long after you close the book.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and Netgalley. A positive review was not required and the opinions are my own.

I didn't enjoy this book. That's not to say it's not well-written or that you shouldn't read it. It is and you should. It was just a hard read about a pastor's family recovering from the death of a child, and how each member of the family tried to process their grief in different ways. It is set in the early 1970s which is what intrigued me to start with. It definitely includes an element of faith which gives the story hope.

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart was another book that I like right from the start. Like the book that I reviewed yesterday, this is the first book I have read by this author, and I am so glad that I got the chance to read this book. I really loved the author’s style of writing and how reading her book was so easy. It just flowed so well that I was able to get through this book quickly. She put just the right amount of details into the book which I also loved because I got everything I needed but it didn’t have so much in it that I got bogged down or lost in all the details. I loved watching how the characters grew and changed throughout the book. If you love books that tackle real life problems than I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

"The summer before I turned ten was idyllic—until August 3, 1970. It perfectly describes a time when I thought the world was safe and good things lasted forever. What I couldn’t know then, but try to remember now, is how fragile and delicate are the moments we most treasure, and if they break into pieces, repairing means seeing anew." ~Excerpt

I know it’s only January, but I predict this will be one of my top favorite books of 2017. Yes—it’s that good.

Here are my reasons for adoring this book, in a three-point formation, just as Reverend McAndrews structured his sermons in this story.

1. Nostalgia. I adore the nostalgic atmosphere that envelops every page of Stars in the Grass. Reading this book was like rewinding time and revisiting my younger years. The 1970s came alive as I recalled the innocence and freedom of childhood, and the complexities of those coming-of-age days.
2. Narration. Much of the charm of this book is due to the first-person narration by its main character, nine-year-old Abby McAndrews. Abby is open, honest, raw, and untethered. I respect and admire every nuance of her. As her life is quickly and tragically altered, she allows the reader to see and experience her struggles and grief through her eyes. Her voice is authentic and vulnerable, and I won’t soon forget her.
3. Noteworthiness. Author Ann Marie Stewart is a brilliant storyteller. She writes as one who has mastered the craft. It is evident she has a deep love of music, carries an appreciation for the innocence of childhood, and understands the resilience of the human soul.


Though we like to think of childhood as an era of innocence and ease, heartbreaking realities often force us to see the world as it is—regardless of our age. Abby reveals her internal struggles as she suffers a tragic loss and her tight-knit family begins to unravel. Her dad questions his faith, her mom attempts to shoulder the family’s grief, and her brother Matt’s pain gradually raises to the surface.

"My dad preached about a good and loving God who can do anything, but now I didn’t know what that meant." ~Excerpt

This is one of those books that causes you to linger as you near the end. You turn the pages slower to make the story last longer. You prolong closing the cover because you don’t want to leave these characters behind. I turned the last page in tears, but this book is far from gloomy. It’s filled with hope, family, faith, and perseverance.

I predict, upon reading this book, you’ll experience a bit of laughter, shed a tear or two, and feel your heart grow a few sizes.

5 great big stars!

Cover: Love it
Title: Love it
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1634099509
First line (prologue): I spent the better part of my childhood sitting in the pew in the balcony of Bethel Springs First Presbyterian Church, listening to my dad’s long vowels as he preached on predestination.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, and was not required to write a review.

The McAndrews family is reeling after the tragic death of their youngest family member, Joel.  At age 3, Joel is killed in a freak accident.  The McAndrews family is also a pastor’s family and the death brings unique challenges for the family.  Reverend John McAndrews struggles mightily and it shakes his faith.  15-year-old Matthew acts out in self-destructive ways.  10-year-old Abby is scared, scared of everything.  And, Renee the mother, finds herself needing to be the glue.
Written from the point-of-view of Abby, the story digs into the stress of the year following the death of Joel.  I think we get to see the issues of each family member, as best a 10-year-old can relay them through a story.  Time is required for the family to move forward and you will be reading and encouraging them to stay together and work through this grief.

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart was a very sad book to me. It never really got any better for me. I thought the tie in to the title was almost an after thought. (I read this advanced readers copy for an honest review.)

I like the author's writing style. This subject of this book is heartbreaking, but the author did an excellent job of showing what all the characters were going through and how they were trying to deal with this tragedy. Nine year old Abby and her family are on an enjoyable vacation when a life changing event happens. This is the story of how Abby, her fifteen year old brother Matt, and her mother and father deal with this tragedy. Even though it is a somewhat sad story, the author ends it on a hopeful note.

The premise is very depressing. A child is killed in an accident and the family has to deal with the tragedy--all seen from the eyes of a 9-year-old girl. There are some sweet moments, and one or two places made me smile, but frankly the whole is gut-wrenching. I fight depression all the time, so this book was not good for me to read. The reason is there was no hope or ray of sunshine given at the beginning of the story.

It's very well written. It stays in the 70s with no oppsies from the 21st century, even speech patterns stay in the 70s. BUT readers need hope when faced with reading something so depressing. There has to be hope for the sunshine in a rainy week otherwise it becomes too oppressive.

A very emotional read. It's not the usual type of book that I read, but I enjoyed it. Told in the first person by Abby, a nine year old middle child in a pastors family. She tells us what happens in her life and her family after a tragic event takes place. I don't think this book is for everyone because of some very emotional scenes.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Stars in the Grass is a well written book. I like the plot and the well thought out characters. The story of a family dealing with a tragic loss might be a little disturbing for some but it is such a good story!

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart is a story of living one’s faith and having hope through the worst of times.
The McAndrews family consists of the father who is the minister of the local Presbyterian church, mom who is the church organist and three children-Matt, Abby, and Joel. A tragedy on their family vacation threatens to tear them apart forever. How will each one use their faith to go on? Will they be able to continue as a family or will the tragic event isolate them all from each other forever?
The story is written from the standpoint of Abby who is nine at the beginning of the story. The book deals with the death of a family member and how each of the survivors deal with their grief and sense of loss. Each one has many questions and searches for answers. Is God dead? Does he care about me? Has he abandoned me? Where was he when this accident occurred? Why, why, why? All questions many of us ask in times of pain and sorrow. Will the McAndrews find answers that will give them hope for the future and life eternal?
I was drawn into this story from page one and I didn’t want to put it down till I finished it. The writer is able to make me feel a part of the story, like I am one of the parishioners or neighbors. The story is extremely sad at times and I wanted to reach out and comfort the character in pain. I believe I felt their pain more deeply because I have lost a family member in an accident. I really like the way the writer shows each person dealing with grief in their own way. Some may not be healthy ways of dealing but the characters must decide that for themselves; the writer does not make that judgement.
I recommend this book to everyone who likes to read stories about events that could be real. While this is a novel I’m sure many families have been dealt with similar circumstances. At times the story is extremely sad and brought tears to my eyes and at other times it is heartwarming.
This review is my own honest opinion of this book. I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing though I am under no obligation to post a review