The Girl Who Fell from the Sky -- Heidi W. Durrow, Paperback

Rachel, the daughter of a Danish mother and a black G.I., becomes the sole survivor of a family tragedy after a fateful morning on their Chicago rooftop.

Forced to move to a new city, with her strict African American grandmother as her guardian, Rachel is thrust for the first time into a mostly black community, where her light brown skin, blue eyes, and beauty bring a constant stream of attention her way. It's there, as she grows up and tries to swallow her grief, that she comes to understand how the mystery and tragedy of her mother might be connected to her own uncertain identity.

This searing and heartwrenching portrait of a young biracial girl dealing with society's ideas of race and class is the winner of the Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice.

Author: Heidi W. Durrow
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 01/24/2011
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.40w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781616200152

Review Citation(s):
New York Times Book Review 01/16/2011 pg. 20