Anita Shreve has been one of my favorite authors for a long time. THE STARS ARE FIRE does not disappoint. It is such a tragic yet heart-warming story. I loved all of the complex characters and enjoyed that love and family was the main feeling for the book. There are even a few surprises.

The Stars are Fire by Anita Shreve

I have read a few of Anita Shreve’s books and (as far as I can remember) always enjoy them so I was delighted to review an ARC of the Stars are Fire and I was not disappointed. I started reading this late one night and by 4.00 am had finished the entire book so I think it is safe to say that I enjoyed it.

Grace and Gene and their two children are living in Maine in 1947 and the book describes Grace’s thoughts and feelings as a woman in a marriage which is not fulfilling; her joy comes from her children, the sea and sky and her friendship with Rosie, her neighbour. Through today’s lens it is a hard life. Then disaster strikes in the form of a fire and Grace is faced with more tribulation.

Well-written with a light touch this text reveals the fortitude and inner strength of this woman who struggles with adversity and strives to improve the situation for her and her family. I could not fail to like Grace and Rosie, two very interesting characters.

This book reminds me of Edith Wharton, a subtle examination of the reality of life for some women in a particular time and place.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Fantastic, gripping story, so well written with an intriguing plot based on a historical event. A real page turner that kept me glued to the book until I had finished.

This story is based in a true event which took place in Maine seventy years ago. After an unusually hot and dry season, Grace’s home is destroyed in a wildfire and she and her children narrowly escape with their lives. Her husband, Gene, with whom she had a deteriorating relationship, is missing, presumed dead. Grace takes a job at the local doctor’s and moves into the home of her late mother-in-law. Her life settles down with her mother and a lodger – a brilliant pianist. Things are not at all as settled ash she hopes.

As with a previous novel, Sea Glass, Anita Shreve uses the New England coast to set her scenes and its wild storms for a backdrop to the personal tales of the family. Grace feels like a captive. She’s tied to her children, tied to her husband and very much a product of the age in which she was raised. Anita Shreve’s style of cool and considered prose follows Grace’s self-discovery without dramatizing it. It’s a great display of inner strength and I found it an encouraging story.

I read this book in less than a day. It's hard to believe how much has changed in the world since the post war years and the themes of enlightenment and hope that run through the story are gripping. It's one of those books that make you identify with the characters and leave you wanting more. This is the first book I've read by this author and I can't wait to read the back catalogue.

Brilliantly and simply written. Everything you expect from Anita Shreve. A story about family love and loss to totally immerse yourself in. I really enjoyed this book. The hardships Grace had to deal with are so harsh and written about so beautifully. I really liked the ending. I am so glad Grace got some happiness in life.

This is the first novel by Shreve I have had the good fortune to read and I found I couldn't put it down. I t fair blew me away! The story focusses on Grace, a young mother living in Maine during 1947. Grace is a good person, mother to Toddler Claire and baby Tom but is trapped in a marriage where it feels as though she is just going through the motions. She tries hard to please husband Gene, but knows things are far from what she had hoped for in a marriage. Rosie, her best friend and neighbour however, seems to be having a very different existence with her husband, much in love and carefree. Grace worries about where she is going wrong but feels unable to discuss married life with either Rosie or her own mother.
Fact then becomes immersed with fiction as a fire devastates the area, wiping out whole towns and everything in the path of the flames. The fire of 1947 in Maine actually happened and Shreve portrays the sense of fear and danger well. Grace and Rosie are left to care for the children as their husbands are called away to fight the fire. A terrible ordeal ensues as the women and children seek refuge from the flames by spending the night shrouded under a wet blanket at the oceans edge.
Life changes after the events of the fire and Grace is left to fend for herself. Grace builds a new life for herself and the children, growing in self worth and independence along the way. But will all of this be wiped out as events take a major turn and will all semblance of happiness be wiped out?
I loved the character of Grace and enjoyed reading about how she developed as a person in her own right. 1940's women were so downtrodden compared to women of today and expectations were so different. Shreve portrays this well covering Grace's guilty feelings with insight and emotion. I kept wanting things to work out well for Grace and the second half of the novel was a thrilling read as I hoped and prayed this would turn out to be the case.

Thank you Netgalley, Anite Shreve is one of my favourite authors and this is by far the best book I have read of hers. The characters are well developed and the story is simple and factual.