Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Whistling Past the Graveyard
    Unavailable
    Whistling Past the Graveyard
    Unavailable
    Whistling Past the Graveyard
    Audiobook11 hours

    Whistling Past the Graveyard

    Written by Susan Crandall

    Narrated by Amy Rubinate

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Read the ebook instead

    About this audiobook

    In the summer of 1963, nine-year-old spitfire Starla Claudelle runs away from her strict grandmother's home. Mamie is the nearest thing to family Starla has. After being put on restriction yet again for her sassy mouth, Starla is caught sneaking out. 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. 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateJul 2, 2013
    ISBN9781624068782
    Author

    Susan Crandall

    Susan Crandall is a critically acclaimed author of women’s fiction, romance, and suspense. She has written several award-winning novels including her first book, Back Roads, which won the RITA award for best first book, as well as Whistling Past the Graveyard, which won the SIBA 2014 Book Award for Fiction. Susan lives in Noblesville, Indiana, with her family.

    Related to Whistling Past the Graveyard

    Related audiobooks

    Historical Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Home Entertainment

      Sep 3, 2020

      Scott and his friend Emily meet Rufus, a furry creature who begs them to help restore his fading kingdom. What follows is a crazy adventure where they must face a giant alligator, a ruthles owl, a vicious dinosaur skeleton, and more, to rescue Rufus'

      1 min read

    • Article

      Children & Young Adult

      Nov 30, 2022

      Children & Young Adult
      3 min read

    • Article

      Book CLUB

      Jun 15, 2021

      Book CLUB
      1 min read

    • Article

      Storytime

      Jun 15, 2022

      A classy, atmospheric thriller. Author Adam and wife Lou are at a luxury Malaysian resort, with son Raffy, eight, and daughter Laila, four months. They are with a couple they met only recently; barrister Noah and wife Eliza, and twins Chloe and Sam,

      1 min read

    • Article

      Storytime

      Jun 15, 2022

      A classy, atmospheric thriller. Author Adam and wife Lou are at a luxury Malaysian resort, with son Raffy, eight, and daughter Laila, four months. They are with a couple they met only recently; barrister Noah and wife Eliza, and twins Chloe and Sam,

      1 min read

    • Article

      Soul-stirring Stories

      Jan 28, 2020

      This delightful debut will break your heart,then put it back together again as the story of prickly,stubborn and lonely Millicent Carmichael unfurls. Missy is 79, her son has moved to Australia, she’s estranged from her daughter and she’s missing her

      1 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Mar 3, 2021

      Book Club
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Words

      Jul 5, 2022

      The Words
      2 min read

    • Article

      Read! Read!

      Jul 10, 2022

      When Marcus kicks his favourite football over the school fence, he believes it’s gone forever. After he receives an invitation to join the ‘Breakfast Club Investigators’, he gets wrapped up in an exciting adventure with new friends who want to solve

      1 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Mar 23, 2022

      Great Read
      5 min read

    • Article

      Out Now! Home Entertainment

      Feb 6, 2020

      Gymnastics star, Maddy plans a change when she doesn't qualify for the Australian Gymnastics Olympic team. She hopes to rediscover her passion for gymnastics by coaching a team of young gymnasts and taking the team to the State Championships. Malefic

      1 min read

    • Article

      3 Page-turners

      Mar 24, 2021

      Female friendship and mummy angst fuel this frothy, heartwarming tale of cookbook creator Grace Harkness, who teams up with a group of harried Sydney mums who’ve decided to leave the tiresome men in their lives and set up a “mummune”. It should be a

      1 min read

    • Article

      Our literary HEROINES

      Aug 27, 2020

      Our literary HEROINES
      5 min read

    • Article

      Great Reads

      Aug 9, 2023

      by Louise Minchin (£18.99, HB, Bloomsbury) Sexism in the workplace is what drove broadcast journalist Louise Minchin to track down 18 extraordinary women adventurers – to show us all what women can do. No stranger to feats of endurance herself, Louis

      2 min read

    • Article

      Out Now! On The Screen

      Jun 3, 2021

      Din, a college student with big dreams, and Long, a cynical but all-powerful dragon capable of granting wishes, set off on a hilarious adventure through modern day Shanghai in search of Din's long-lost childhood friend, Lina. Their journey forces the

      2 min read

    • Article

      Rocks

      Mar 10, 2020

      Rocks
      2 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Aug 31, 2022

      by Maggie O’Farrell (£25, HB, Headline) On the back of winning the Women’s Prize For Fiction for Hamnet in 2021, O’Farrell brings us another brilliant read, set in Renaissance Italy. It’s 1560, and Alfonso d’Este, ruler of Ferrara, wants a wife. His

      2 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      May 20, 2020

      Book Club
      2 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Aug 5, 2020

      by SJ Watson (£12.99, HB, Transworld) The master storyteller SJ Watson – author of Before I Go to Sleep – is back with another clever psychological thriller. Visiting the struggling seaside town of Blackwood Bay, ambitious documentary film-maker Alex

      2 min read

    • Article

      Out Now! On The Screen

      Mar 2, 2022

      Auntie Opal and her niece Nina love to have cosy nights in together. They usually have sleepovers but this one is different. While reading a book of fairy tales, they accidentally bring the mythical Erax right out from the pages of the book. These ko

      2 min read

    • Article

      August’s BOOK CLUB

      Jul 2, 2020

      Paul Adams has kept away from his home village for 25 years, ever since his schoolfriend Charlie stabbed a classmate to death before going missing. But when Paul’s mother suffers a fall, the time has come to return. Events soon become darker and it a

      2 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reading

      Dec 27, 2020

      Summer Reading
      6 min read

    • Article

      Acts Of War

      Jan 22, 2024

      by Vanessa Chan (Hodder &Stoughton, $37.99) Malaysian author Vanessa Chan draws on her family history for this gripping story about a family in Kuala Lumpur over two time periods – in 1935 in the run-up to World War II and in the final throes of it

      4 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Nov 4, 2020

      Book Club
      1 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Feb 15, 2023

      by Sophia Money-Coutts (£8.99, PB, HarperCollins) Stella Shakespeare is 32 and feels like she’s going nowhere fast. Dumped by her boyfriend, and cut off from the bank of dad, she decides that what she really wants is to find love – the all-consuming

      2 min read

    • Article

      Summer Reading

      Dec 30, 2020

      Summer Reading
      3 min read

    • Article

      Cricket Readers Recommend

      Nov 1, 2020

      Cricket Readers Recommend
      2 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Oct 5, 2022

      by Adrienne Young (£16.99, HB, Quercus) Saoirse is an island with an eerily close-knit community and a belief in superstition. Teenagers Emery and August dream of running away together but one night their close friend Lily is found dead, and August

      2 min read

    • Article

      Pick Of The Week

      Nov 24, 2022

      Pick Of The Week
      1 min read

    Reviews for Whistling Past the Graveyard

    4/5

    265 ratings48 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Ever want to smack a lung out of a character in a book? Well, that's what I wanted to do with Starla (age 9 going on 25) and her grandmother. It's Mississippi, 1962. Starla is a redheaded 'firecracker' like her runaway mother. Starla's grandmother is very mean to Starla who runs away to find her mother in Nashville. This leads to a string of events which has a ripple effect on everyone.
    • 5/5
      Plucky 9 year old Saarland runs away from home to search for her mother in Nashville. She meets Eula a woman with her own secrets. Through their experiences Starla and Eula form a bond each bringing what the other sorely needs. There is a out of Ian in this book but it’s balanced by a lot of laughter. This is funny, sad and thoroughly enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      I have never read anything by this author before and now I'm wondering why not! The story was fantastic and her characters jumped off the page fully formed with a clear picture of them forming in my mind almost as soon as they opened their mouths. I began reading this with no preconceived notions of the story, but thought it would be a bit more fluff than substance. That was not the case and that's what made it more intriguing with every page (or kindle page) turned.
      Loved it!
    • 5/5
      Loved, loved loved this book. I listened to the audio version and it was wonderful. 'Red rage' has a whole new meaning for me now;) Highly recommended for lovers of southern lit. You wont be disappointed.
    • 4/5
      I understood Starla's "red rage" and her "bees in the stomach". Having attended college in the south several years after the timeframe of this book I was witness to similar behavior and situations. I think Susan Crandell captured the period, the characters, the humanity and inhumanity perfectly.
    • 3/5
      First and foremost, I adored Eula, the black woman. She was complex, multi-dimensional and evolved nicely throughout the story. While the book is told from Starla's point of view, the story is centered around her relationship with Eula.

      With that said, Starla got on my last dead nerve. I felt that Crandall was a little heavy-handed with Starla's rebellion, disobedience, and lack of self-control. Time after time after time, she put others at risk doing exactly what she had been warned not to do, and seemed only marginally regretful when her actions came full circle. While I think Crandall tried to have her maturity evolve over the course of the story, it was too little, too late for me. I got to the point where I thought, "If Starla does that, she deserves what she gets," killing my sympathy for this character.

      The fact that it was told from Starla's point of view raises the comparison of Scout from Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. That is where the comparison ends. Scout is painted with a realistic brush, making rash decisions occasionally, and learning from them. She seems a typical young girl, struggling with what adults expect of her, and what she wants to do. Starla, on the other had, was a frustrating character who didn't seem to learn from her mistakes, even when she realized (too late, always) others would be hurt.

      Very fast-paced story, a bit predictable and milquetoast. However, it is a good summer book, and won't bog you down.
    • 5/5
      This is a coming-of-age story that will stay with you for awhile. Little nine year old Starla Claudelle will steal your heart away from the first page. The setting is summer 1963 in Mississippi. Segregation is in full force, and civil rights demonstrations are just beginning. Starla is being raised by her Mamie (who is her dad's mother). Starla's dad works on the off-shore rigs, so Starla doesn't see him nearly as much as she'd like to. Starla has not seen her mother since she was three. After another fight with her Mamie, and after another grounding, Starla decides to run away from home and go to see her Mama who lives in Nashville. Little does she know that Nashville is 600 miles away from her home, but she sets out anyway. When she is walking a lonely country road, Starla accepts a ride from a black woman who is transporting a white newborn baby. So begins Starla's adventure, and her trip will forever change her life. I found I laughed and cried with plucky little Starla. What a wonderful story! I highly recommend it. I couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of days, so it's not a long book, but it's chock full of humanity.
    • 5/5
      Whistling Past the Graveyard is a saying which means that although you might be scared you have to stay strong and keep pushing on. The story of Starla Claudelle opens during July 1963, one of the most turbulent times in American History. The Civil Rights Movement is in full swing and the nation is in turmoil, especially in Mississippi. When Starla's grandmother threatens her with reform school again, Starla decides to run away to live with her mother in Nashville. While on her journey she meets a black woman named Eula who is traveling alone with a white baby. Eula helps Starla get to Nashville and together they face many obstacles along the way. This book was a wonderful read! I loved the relationship between Eula and Starla and how they come to trust and love one another. The author painted a very realistic portrait of the constant fear and unrest faced by people of color during this time period. She also shows that good and bad people exist in all races. This book depicted both the best and the worst examples of how humans treat one another. 5 stars! Perfect for fans of the Secret Life of Bees.
    • 4/5
      I read this book as part of a book club I am in. I really enjoyed the characters but I feel Crandall may have been trying to hard. The concept of a young child's whole concept of the world changing was a strong one though. I would recommend this book to people who like historic fiction.
    • 3/5
      The book started well but dragged toward the middle. I kept waiting for it to end.
    • 5/5
      OMG I loved this book so much!!! I laughed! I was moved! I was angry! I CRIED A LOT!!!

      ***It was the best book I've read this year!!***
      (out of 3 so far! LOL)

      I finished the last half of the book this morning - and I'll say it again... I LOVED it!! I flew through it with feelings of tension and suspense.. and laughter.. and love.. lots of tears!! I really cry a lot.. I cry at greeting cards.. that's how I know it's the one I'm supposed to get:) if it makes me cry!)

      I adored the relationship between Starla and Eula - it was so moving and wonderful! She had herself quite an adventure didn't she?? I really can't believe she was only almost 10!! She seemed so mature for her age.. I found myself wondering what my daughter would've done in some of the situations Starla found herself in. I wanted to share it with her - I would love for her to read it - so we could bond over it together!!

      The book centers around Starla - 10 year old red head (like me!!) who runs away from her mean old nasty grandma and meets Eula - a lovely black woman who's got a white infant in tow.. She takes her in and agrees to take her to Nashville to see her dear mommy (who Starla thinks is a famous singer)

      It's 1963 so racism is still in full swing and these two ladies have an adventure of the life changing kind! I don't think I've been moved this much by a book in a long time.. If EVER!!!

      I definitely want to check out more of this author!!
    • 5/5
      First I want to thank Simon and Shuster and also Goodreads for the opportunity of reading this novel.

      Summer 1963, in Cayuga Springs, Mississippi, feisty 9-year-old Starla is living with Mamie, her strict grandmother, while her father is working in an oil rig and her mother is becoming a famous singer in Nashville.

      Afraid of being sent to reform school for misbehaving, she decides to run away and go to Nashville and reunite with her famous mother, the singer she hasn't seen since she was 3. On her way she gets a lift by a black woman Eula and in a basket a baby.. who is white. Starla may be young but in 1963 a black woman and a white baby means trouble.

      After Eula's husband Wallace cruelty and an unfortunate accident, Starla and Eula decide that they can only do one thing is to go straight to Nashville. This road trip becomes a life changing course for both of them.

      This book into the world of segregation, Starla who is the narrator, we see through her eyes the innocence that and also her eye-opening truth that she never witnessed. It also delves into domestic violence between Eula and Wallace and the truth about her upbringing and the broken spirit that made her take a white baby and raise him even though she knew it was not the right decision.

      Never been to Mississippi, the author takes you there, the roads to the colored not being served in restaurants, makes you realize the misery that they lived through. The characters were right on point, to the good (Miss Cyrena, Starla's father), to the bad (Mamie, The Jenkins).

      This is a beautiful story about searching for a better life, love, friendship and what the meaning of having a family, bounded by love of not means. After reading the book,i got invested in the characters, I wanted more, where would the characters be after 10-20 years.

      A touching book worth reading!
    • 4/5
      Set in 1963 in Mississippi and Tennessee, Whistling Past the Graveyard tells the story of 9-year-old Starla. Starla's mother has moved to Nashville and her father works on an oil rig in the Gulf, so she is forced to live with her father's mother, Mamie, who doesn't seem to appreciate Starla's spunk and energy. In trouble for the umpteenth time, Starla decides to run away and find her mother, but trouble finds Starla first and she finds herself on the run with a Black woman named Eula and abandoned baby James. Once I got into the story, I found it an enjoyable read. As Starla and Eula navigate the obstacles they face, we come to know more about them and their relationship deepens. However, there were times when Starla said or did things that seemed inconsistent with her age. The book doesn't go deeply into the challenges facing the South in 1963 either, and I expect that this is partially because Starla is only beginning to understand the conditions faced by Blacks at that time. So, although I found Starla a charming character, having a 9-year-old narrator limited the book a bit.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful language. The author's descriptions made me feel the emotion or transported me to the place. Told in the voice of a 9-year old child with an absent father and a mother who abandoned her. Starla lives with a resentful grandmother who rarely misses an opportunity to punish her in some way. She runs away on the 4th of July heading to Nashville in search of her mother and the dream of a happy family. She finds danger and courage, disappointment and acceptance, heartbreak and unconditional love. It's quite a journey.The depth of this story surprised me. Set in Mississippi during the 1960s - it may be Freedom Summer though that's not clearly referenced. The Jim Crow South is a character and Starla experiences the impact of racism and white privilege. There's a lot more here than the back cover describes. Highly recommend
    • 5/5
      I received an advanced uncorrected digital galley of Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall from NetGalley.com in return for my honest thoughts and opinions of the work.Whistling Past the Graveyard is the story of outspoken, sassy, nine-year-old, Starla Claudelle whose beautiful way of thinking and loving people unconditionally contrasted with the cruelty and discrimination of the time. Starla was white and although her Mamie, taught Starla, by example, to think that her color made her superior to a black person, Starla's sincerity and innocence enabled her to defy such ignorance and befriend Eula, a kindly black woman who treasured Starla and made her feel loved for the first time in her life. Whistling Past the Graveyard is Starla's journey. Her mother had abandoned her when she was three years old to pursue her dreams of becoming a famous singer in Nashville. Her father worked on an oil rig in the Gulf, and Starla was left in the care of her grandmother, Mamie, who seemed to resent the child and often was spiteful and cruel to her without reason. A series of events prompted Starla to search for her mother. Along the way, she met, Eula, a selfless, loving black woman who was an inspiring mother-figure to Starla. This shameful period of our history, a time of disgraceful discrimination based on skin color, prohibited these colorblind friendships, but together, Starla and Eula, created their own kind of family touching and transforming many that they encountered.I loved this novel. The story was substantial. The characters were well-developed and connected with the reader. I was sorry when the book ended. I highly recommend reading it.
    • 5/5
      The year is 1963, and Starla Claudelle runs away from her grandmother's house, striking out for Nashville, TN where her mother lives. She accepts a ride along the way from Eula, a black woman driving an old rattletrap truck. They go to Eula's to spend the night and eventually strike out for Nashville together. Along the way Starla and Eula both learn a lot of lessons about life. This is the best book I have read so far in 2013, and I highly recommend it. Book discussion groups would find it a good one to read.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic story....Enjoyed it from page one. My favorites of course are Starla and Eula. What a lesson in strength and faithful friends. The love they shared simmered off the pages as the story progressed. We all want to be heard, valued and most of all Loved. Thank you Susan Crandall-You have touched me I have grown.
    • 5/5
      One of the very best books I have read in a long time. Mississippi in 1963 is all you need to know to realize what the crux of this book will center on. Nine year old, hot tempered Starla, needs to escape life with a very strict and structured grandma. Her mother is in Nashville and the book is about the journey she makes to get to Nashville and the people she meets who will change her forever. Everything about this book is so well done. Setting is captured, , not just in place but in time. Love the characters. Starla seems to go from 9 to 19 and back to 9 in her abilities, but it all works perfectly. I agree with others who have said it ranks with "The Help".
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book. Taking place (mainly) in Cayuga, Mississippi in 1963, this novel follows Starla Claudelle as she runs away from home in a split second decision that will change the direction of her life, as well as the lives of many others.Abandoned by her mother, Starla lives with her Mamie- her father's mother- while he works at an off shore oil rig. Mamie plainly hates Starla as well as her absent mother and spends most of her time making Starla miserable. When Mamie's cruelties, as well as those of her small town, finally push her over the edge, she runs away, hoping to find her mother in Nashville. On the way, she meets Eula, a black woman traveling in a beat up truck with a white baby. Eula takes Starla home with her. What happens next (I won't include spoilers) sends the three of them on an adventure that will force them to face the hard, cold realities of life and will teach them the true meaning of love and family.My heart went out to Starla. A young girl who was clearly unloved and unwanted by those around her. Her mother wasn't the only one who had abandoned her. Those around her had clearly abandoned her as well. Although it had some harrowing moments, this story warmed my heart. Crandall gets deep inside the minds of her characters and the motives behind their actions. I look forward to reading more of her books.Read this book if...*you enjoy southern fiction*you enjoy books about racial issues *you enjoy stories that take place in the 1960's*you enjoy stories that take place "on the road"
    • 5/5
      So I love, LOVE this book. I was drawn to it to start with because of the age and gender of the narrator -- I seem to really enjoy novels told from the perspective of young girls, especially period pieces -- as well when its set.Starla is a superb narrator and a fantastic character. Crandall takes full advantage of the youth and, at times, naivete of her storyteller. Especially given the time and setting of the novel. There's a lot happening in the 1963 South that might not get noticed or, perhaps, commented on by an older narrator or not as astutely as it does by Starla. All of the things that get her in trouble with her Mamie, all of her sassisng, give us readers a fuller story.Yes, there are things she says, even sometimes to adults, that seem like they might get her in more trouble than they do but it gives better observations on the setting or what she's feeling, experiencing or what's happening than we would get had she been meek and/or respectful.The racial dynamics, even those Starla's aware of, are very much apart of the novel. Though she's only nine years old, she understands that she's white and what that means for versus someone who's not - at least based on what she's been taught. The author does really well not playing it down, changing it to look better, somehow making it look better, or anything. It's was true so it is.The relationship between Eula and Starla is real and honest and I just love it. We see so much growth from the both of them. They're both very unique characters who, at the start, are stuck in what the time and society allows for them, but, also, neither of them is quite adhering to what their 'role' is supposed to be.They're not cookie cutter images of the period, but they're also not so far out of the norm that they don't fit. They're just great, real characters. Who needed each other.It's being mentioned a lot with The Help and Whistling Past the Graveyard identifies a lot of issues and injustices facing African Americans in the 1960s as well, albeit mostly different ones as the setting is different. Plot wise, however, I think that To Kill a Mockingbird is one that fits better as Starla and Scout seem to be cut from the same cloth.Starla reminded me, with her her 'sass,' her refusal to be that quiet little girl in the corner of a bit of Scout and also of Teaspoon from How High the Moon by Sandra Kring -- and not just because they all three have fantastic names and great fathers. She's not a character I'll forget soonWhistling Past the Graveyard's story is absolutely heartbreaking at times, but it's also very uplifting and includes some of my favorite relationships and moments in a book of recent memory.
    • 5/5
      Excellent! Yes, it is a similar story of the civil rights era as in The Help, but it is so different. The main character is a nine year old girl, growing up in the deep south in 1963. The innocence of the character will make the reader chuckle and then the story will take a gritty turn when the reality of the times intrudes on her existence. This is a story of true friendship made more poignant through the coming of age of the character during a very turbulent time in our country's history. The author did a wonderful job of developing the characters and their experiences.
    • 5/5
      Whistling Past the Graveyard was a truly wonderful book. I have seen comparisons to To Kill A Mockingbird, and while I enjoyed it, I don't feel it rose to the level of Harper Lee's masterpiece.The story opens in 1963 Mississippi and is told by Starla, a 9-1/2 year old girl being raised by her strict grandmother. Her father works on the oil rigs and only gets to come home for short periods of time every few months. Her mother has moved to Nashville and is trying to become a recording star. Starla's grandmother isn't just strict, she is often cruel. She seems to resent having Starla around. Starla is headstrong, getting into trouble regularly. She dreams of when her mother will be famous and come to get her. Then her father won't have to work on the oil rigs anymore, and they can be a real family. Starla sneaks out while grounded, and getting in trouble again, decides to run away to Nashville to find her mother. She starts walking in what she believes is the general direction of Nashville. As it begins getting dark, a black woman named Eula offers her a ride. She hesitates at first, but then accepts. Thus begins the road trip that will change Starla's life forever. The people she meets and the experiences she has make Starla see the world in a whole new way. This is a remarkable coming-of -age novel. The narration of the book feels wonderfully authentic. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Set in the early 1960's, this novel follows the adventures of nine year old Starla. After running away from home, she takes a ride from a black woman, Eula. Quickly she realizes that Eula has taken the white baby that she is traveling with and things begin to unravel. When Eula's husband tries to murder Starla, Eula rises to her protection, killing him with a skillet. Starla quickly convinces Eula to take her to Tennessee, where she hopes to be reunited with her mother, someone she believes is a famous singer.I had a hard time putting this book down. Starla's innocence and curiosity about the world kept me guessing what would happen next. I thought the book did a good job of portraying the race relations and tensions of the time. Overall, highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Fleeing her strict grandmother's home in 1963 Mississippi, nine-year-old Starla Claudelle becomes an unlikely companion to an African-American woman at whose side she learns harsh lessons about segregation and family. (summary from ISBN 1476707723)I loved this book! Starla is funny, strong-willed, and sassy. Living with her grandmother, Starla has been sheltered with very little interaction with or knowledge about African-Americans. This trip expands her mind and provides a look at what the world is really like outside of Mississippi. This is an entertaining book, but also .provides another image about life in the South in the 1960s. While not written as a YA novel, it would appeal to teens especially middle school to early teens.
    • 3/5
      Kind of torn on this one. Felt like it was written for a YA audience, but plot encompasses some pretty adult stuff. Also, I don't feel qualified to comment on the authenticity of the portrayal of life in 1960s Mississippi by this white author. While it's not like she glosses over the social challenges of the day, I feel like maybe she's co-opting a story that isn't really hers to tell.
    • 2/5
      A quick read but nothing earth-shattering._Whistling Past the Graveyard_ is a coming of age story set in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Era. The protagonist, Starla, a nine-year old girl from a broken home, finds a mother in Eula, a domestically abused black woman who picks her up hitch-hiking. After trials, tribulations, happy accidents and crushing disappointments, Starla finds family and herself.
    • 4/5
      Mississippi in 1963 and 10 yr old Starla has had enough living with her grandmother Mamie who's strict rules become just a little too much. Starla is grounded again and decides it's time to take off and find her mother in Nashville. Along the way she meets Eula, a colored woman with her own problems. Ms. Crandall does an excellent job of being true to the era and the things we love and hate about the south. I highly recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      Set in Mississippi and Tennessee as the Civil Rights movement was beginning,10 year old Starla, is an excellent narrator. She runs away from her grandma to find her mom in Nashville. She is offered a ride by Eula, a black-woman who has stolen a white baby from the steps of a church. As they make their way to Nashville, Starla sees first hand the treatment of blacks in Mississippi. She discovers that love in a family does not necessarily include a mom who has no use for her. Not quite the intensity of To Kill a Mockingbird, but it's clear that a child makes an excellent narrator for showing us history. If you like The Help, you'll enjoy this book as well.
    • 4/5
      I received this book as an advanced reader e-book through Net Galley. From the beginning I found myself captivated by 9 year old Starla's character. She is feisty, rough-and-tumble, goes to bat for the underdog and yet she is seemingly unaware of her own sense of value or place in the world. Her father works on an oil rig, her mother is in Nashville, and she lives with her paternal grandmother who lacks warmth and love; she is afraid Starla will grow up "trashy" like her mother. When Starla's "red-rages" get her into trouble she decides to run away to live with her mother in Nashville, 600 miles away from her hometown. Almost from the start, Starla runs into trouble, but in her quest she discovers herself and her place in the world, along with true love and friendship.

      I was reminded of The Secret Life of Bees; the setting is similar - a young girl traveling with a black female friend in the midst of the American south during the early 1960's and the Civil Rights movement. Similar to Lily in The Secret Life of Bees, Starla is seeking her mother, and is running from a grandmother reminiscent of the character of T-Ray in Bees.

      This well written story is dark yet entirely captivating. As a heroine, Starla, in her young life, has to learn to endure situations and experience tragedies no parent would wish for their children. I would recommend this book to those who loved The Secret Life of Bees; it will not disappoint.
    • 4/5
      Perhaps a little white-savior-ish but maybe it seems that way because it takes place in the 60's deep south. I enjoyed the story overall though.

      2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A book that passes the Bechdel test