THE GIRL WHO FELL FROM THE SKY

The first surprise of this novel may that its title is no metaphor: Young Rachel really falls from the sky, plunging from a city rooftop with her mother and two siblings. The sole survivor, Rachel must move on from unthinkable loss to understanding who she is as the child of mixed-race parentage—while those around her demand that she identify with either her Danish mother or her African-American father. The aftermath of the devastating fall raises questions about race, identity, responsibility, and love. Narrators Karen Murray, Emily Bauer, and Kathleen McInerney tell this harrowing tale with exceptional beauty, thanks, in part, to Durrow's artful prose. The gentleness with which the performers, particularly Bauer, as sweet-voiced Rachel, unfold the events is remarkable. These voices give a heartrending story its heart. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2010]