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The Star Side of Bird Hill
The Star Side of Bird Hill: A Novel | Naomi Jackson
23 posts | 13 read | 29 to read
Two sisters are suddenly sent from their home in Brooklyn to Barbados to live with their grandmother, in this stunning debut novel This lyrical novel of community, betrayal, and love centers on an unforgettable matriarchal family in Barbados. Two sisters, ages ten and sixteen, are exiled from Brooklyn to Bird Hill in Barbados after their mother can no longer care for them. The young Phaedra and her older sister, Dionne, live for the summer of 1989 with their grandmother Hyacinth, a midwife and practitioner of the local spiritual practice of obeah. Dionne spends the summer in search of love, testing her grandmothers limits, and wanting to go home. Phaedra explores Bird Hill, where her family has lived for generations, accompanies her grandmother in her role as a midwife, and investigates their mothers mysterious life. This tautly paced coming-of-age story builds to a crisis when the father they barely know comes to Bird Hill to reclaim his daughters, and both Phaedra and Dionne must choose between the Brooklyn they once knew and loved or the Barbados of their family. Jacksons Barbados and her characters are singular, especially the wise Hyacinth and the heartbreaking young Phaedra, who is coming into her own as a young woman amid the tumult of her family. Praise for The Star Side of Bird Hill Jackson has written a first novel full of heart and heartbreak, a novel about going home, about the ties that bind three generations of women across years and despite absence. It is a bittersweet lesson in learning to recognize love. Ayana Mathis, author of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprahs Book Club 2.0 selection) Naomi Jackson has written a tender novel exploring the complexities of motherhood and childhood. The Star Side of Bird Hill holds together opposing elementsthe book is quiet in the telling, but the story being told is sharp and vibrant. It is as much a story of the fears of childhood as it is a story about welcoming old age with optimism. A book that knows death and discovery. A book laced with pain but shimmering with hope. With care, the narrative addresses huge issues, such as mental illness, mortality, sexuality, and, at its very core, what it means to love another person as they are. Tiphanie Yanique, author of Land of Love and Drowning
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Currey
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Pickpick

First time author writes a coming of age tale that starts with the classic formula (lost mother, grandmother with tough exterior and heart of gold) but manages to break from the formula to a more interesting path. Two teen girls find themselves in Barbados with their grandmother after living up to that point in Brooklyn NYC with their life challenged mother. Barbados comes through with a warm sense of community. #readingaroundtheworld #barbados

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Tex2Flo
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”Hyacinth just wanted to know that she could shift her weight to one side and it wouldn‘t be just the air and force of her will holding her up...”
We want to know that someone is there when we need more strength.

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alisonrose
Pickpick

I've never been to Barbados but after reading this, I almost feel like I have. Jackson is a master at setting the scene in your mind, how the place looks, sounds, &smells. Totally transported me. I really enjoyed this story and getting to know the women and girls, who all felt real and unique from each other. There's some pain but also so much strength and hope. I'd love it if she wrote a sequel, I want to know who Dionne and Phaedra become 4/5 ⭐️

24 likes1 stack add
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alisonrose

Sixty-three years on this earth had taught Hyacinth that it wasn't so much the mistakes that people made but how flexible they were in their aftermath that made all the difference in how their lives turned out.

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alisonrose

Lyrics like "get something and wave for the Lord" were made for Bird Hill, where any news was reason to have a party, and parties could start in the late afternoon and put the stars to bed the next morning.

[I love that way of putting it: "put the stars to bed" - great phrase ✨]

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alisonrose
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Yellow and orange are two of my least favorite colors but somehow I still love this cover #nowreading #blackhistorymonth #femmeuary

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RealLifeReading
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Some library loot for myself.

minkyb I enjoyed The Star Side of Bird Hill. Hope you like it. 7y
lesleythegreater Love the library haul! So many people buy what they could borrow and support their lobrary 7y
103 likes2 comments
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quietjenn
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I've heard great things about this, but am having trouble getting into it. Pretty sure it's me, not the book ...

Notafraidofwords I read it a few years ago and struggled through the first half too. 7y
quietjenn @Notafraidofwords hm, so maybe it's not totally me 😕 7y
45 likes2 comments
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Matilda
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#riotgrams day 18: books & a beverage

erzascarletbookgasm Cute! 😀💗 7y
71 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Matilda
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#riotgrams June 20: celestial

dodolover88 My heart stopped at minions on the background. So cuuttee 💖💖💖 7y
Matilda @dodolover88 freaking love them! 7y
70 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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MidnightBookGirl
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Mehso-so

While I enjoyed the library book club discussion, and the audiobook narration was great, I didn't love the book. I just felt kept at a distance. Worth reading for the 1989 Brooklyn and Barbados settings.

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Matilda
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The very unstable leaning tower of TBR books for #funfridayphoto (and this doesn't even include all my ARCs/egalleys 🙈)

Chessa Is it weird that I want to pet this stack? 8y
angrylilasian This makes me want to make a physical stack too just to see how high it goes. 😆 8y
Matilda @Chessa you are welcome to pet! The ice cream sandwich is the softest thing EVER! 8y
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Matilda @angrylilasian if I actually put the books that are also on my shelf here I'd be on the floor crushed by books 😂 8y
monkeygirlsmama Bad Unicorn? This I must look up. 🦄🤙🏻 8y
Matilda @monkeygirlsmama yeah the title made it a must for me. 8y
85 likes6 comments
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outis
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I thought this book #setonanisland was just lovely. Terrific debut novel. #seasonsreadings2016

21 likes2 stack adds
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susanw
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Struggling through both of these. Bird Hill is being read for my book club, meeting in 2 days, Lisa Bellow is a Netgalley read and it expires in 2 days. I hate bailing on book club book, but I might bail on the other one. I can tell they are really not doing it for me, when I realized I was happier watching cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies all weekend than reading them. #currentlyreading #photoadaynov16 @RealLifeReading

Zelma Yes, I love this time of year and cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. My favorite! 8y
MemoirsForMe 😂👍🏻 8y
59 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MrBook
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I was first in line to meet this trio of great authors 😆😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!!! They were all incredibly friendly and gregarious with us fans. I have signed editions noooow 😎👌🏻! Do you enjoy these three's works?

kspenmoll What fun! Jealous! 8y
rachel_mbc I loved We Are Not Ourselves. It was close-to-home for me at the time. Heartbreaking and beautifully written 8y
LauraBeth This is so awesome 😀 8y
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Cat13 Amazing! 8y
minkyb The Star Side of Bird Hill is a wonderful book! 8y
MrBook @kspenmoll 😁👍🏻🙌🏻!!! @rachel_mbc I concur! And @BookBabe loved it as well 😊👍🏻! @LauraBeth 😁👍🏻!!!!! @Cat13 😁👍🏻!!!! @minkyb I haven't read it yet, but I plan to very soon 😊👍🏻!!! 8y
115 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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libchristina
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I went to the Morristown Book Festival, and I got some books signed 😬. The authors were so nice. I'm excited for next year's festival!

3 likes1 stack add
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SarahTheSpectator
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SarahTheSpectator
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SarahTheSpectator
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SarahTheSpectator
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#Day15 of #AugustPhotoChallenge is #PeachColoredBooks - #Sweetbitter is my #TBR #LibraryBook - but I gotta give it up to my favorite of the bunch #StarSideOfBirdHill #YayBooks!

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evelynnalfred
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What she liked most about their friendship was how much space there was for silence, the kind of quiet she'd never found with girls her age.

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evelynnalfred
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This novel was fantastic. Get into it.

3 likes2 stack adds