In Hannah Lillith Assadi’s novel, The Stars Are Not Yet Bells, readers learn the story of Elle Cumberland's marriage to Simon Ranier, and their consequent move to an island off the coast of Georgia. Readers learn of family secrets—both Elle’s and Simon’s. And readers discover through Elle’s memories parts of her 50 years on the island. And yet readers must not be blamed if any skepticism arises during the reading journey. You see, the novel’s narrator is Elle Ranier, and Elle suffers from dementia. I recently spoke with Hannah Lillith Assadi about The Stars Are Not Yet Bells and the experience of assuming the lens of one whose memory is skewed. Here’s our conversation.

https://www.kmuw.org/podcast/marginalia/2022-02-08/hannah-lillith-assadi-on-the-stars-are-not-yet-bells

The Stars Are Not Yet Bells is a vivid, almost cinematic short novel from the point of view of an elderly woman suffering from dementia/Alzheimer’s. It’s nearly plotless, just the last months of Elle’s life on Lyra Island, with its decades of mysteries and secrets. The barriers to the past in Elle’s mind slowly come down until she’s fixated on the one person she lost and could never recover from and her memory blurs with the present. If you’re paying attention, the conversations around Elle will tell you what the “blue lights” in the sea probably are – she doesn’t register this information but the reader does.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Set off the coast of Georgia is the small island of Lyra. At the beginning of WWI, a wealthy family sends their son and his new wife to live on the island and discover the source of blue lights around the area. They are convinced it's a new energy source and potentially great wealth. The book is a story of secrets, loss, and the betrayals of memory: a lyrical novel of an aging woman confronting her romantic past under the mysterious skies of her island home. Elle is the narrator and drifts back and forth between reality and her past memories. Sometimes a little hard to follow. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Through haunting imagery, a woman contemplates her life through tangled memories. Don’t be deceived; this novel is much more than a look into Alzheimer’s. It’s a tale of ambition, mystery, deception and the bond of marriage. Don’t miss this one!

The Stars Are Not Yet Bells is an such a poetic novel you’ll feel like you’re in another world. The writing is beautiful and alluring for such a heartbreaking story. The setting is so well done, it’s almost a character itself. Overall a beautiful book that I fully enjoyed.

3.5 stars, rounded up

At the height of World War II, Elle moves to Lyra, an island off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, with her new husband, who is determined to find the source of strange blue lights in the sky. Over the next several decades, Simon will employ most of the people who live on the island in his quest. When his business is forced to close fifty years later, and Elle's memory fades, she faces questions that no one can answer.

This was my first book by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Her descriptions of the island and Elle's home drew vivid pictures in my mind, and I could almost hear the waves lapping the shore during the beach scenes. I wasn't a fan of the way the story jumped all over the place time-wise, from present day to several different earlier points in time, which made it hard to follow. Once I reached the end of the book and put everything in chronological order, I liked the overall story, and will look for more books by this author.

It became obvious that Elle was suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's, which is afflicting my mother as well, so that was hard to read. I understand her family's frustration in dealing with it, with her confusion between the past and the present, but I was bothered by how annoyed they got with her over her memory issues. As hard as it is to deal with, these things were not her fault, and yelling at her about it won't help anything.

First, thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
It was the cover and title that drew me and made me interested in reading this title. Unfortunately, after finishing the book, the cover and title remain the only parts that interest me. Found this story to be so long and tedious. It was filled with characters that I had no interest or sympathy for. It felt like a book of bad decisions, blame, and consequences. I am glad to be done with this title. It was a letdown for me.

A wonderful slow burn! Emotionally engrossing! Such beautiful writing with characters that just feel so real! I really look forward to more books by this author!

Lyrically and poetically written, you have to read this slowly, both to savor the words and to understand what’s going on. Because it is very complex as time flows back and forth in no discernible pattern and the characters are very multifaceted for lack of a better word. A sad story but beautiful.

The story begins. Poor Elle. She must be in advanced stages of dementia. But her visions are so beautiful! Poetic. Perfect. Sad. This is going to be a hard read - following Elle to her end.

But, wait. Who are all these characters? The prose is still breathtaking, but I need to start paying attention. What all is going on? Clearly there is way more to this novel. Yes, it’s sad, but nuanced, layered, subtle. Wonderful.

I didn’t know what to expect from “The Stars are Not Yet Bells”. I knew that Hannah Lillith Assadi is a 5 Under 35 recipient and a Bingham Prize finalist, but I hadn’t read “Sonora”. I know that Riverhead is my favorite publisher and has never steered me wrong.

I was right about ‘Poor Elle’, but for reasons far more complex than I had first assumed. This story is so rich and beautifully told. The settings are evocatively described in all their beauty, mystery, and despair. The characters are plausible, some amazing, others terrifying. There is wonder and pain, mysticism and delight. But the language is the most memorable of all. It is simply stunning from beginning to end.

“The Stars Are Not Yet Bells” is a must read for all fans of lyrical fiction. Bravo Ms. Assadi. I’m off to buy “Sonora” and can’t wait for your next jewel.

Thank you to Riverhead Books and NetGalley for the eARC.