A Little Piece of Sky

By Nicole Bailey-Williams

Book Overview

A poignant, powerful debut that combines the deep emotion of The House on Mango Street with uniquely creative storytelling, painting a story of survival and healing. Unfolding in a series of vignettes, A Little Piece of Sky introduces an endearing new novelist and a truly unforgettable main character--Song Byrd, a young girl who keenly reports on the world around her. She is African American in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood and the unwanted product of an adulterous affair. While she is poor in the material sense, Song is extraordinarily rich in spirit and it is that inner strength which saves her. In piercingly insightful prose, Nicole Bailey-Williams takes readers on Song's journey through life as she struggles with feeling like an outsider and intense guilt over her mother's murder. Behind it all, places of pure joy, "dreaming the hurt away," and glorious little pieces of sky shine through. Song's tales--and Bailey-Williams's narrative gift--are truly words to treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767912160
• ISBN13: 9780767912167
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Triumphant!!

This is one of the most beautiful books I've read in a while. Nicole Bailey-Williams has done what all of the "big time" authors can't seem to manage and that is to tell a complete story with very few words. She left out all of the unnecessary discriptive stuff and just concentrated on the heart of the story which is the evolution of a young girl surrounded by tragedy and darkness who grew up to eventually create her own light. This moving story of Song Byrd is magnificent and left me wanting more. For anyone who not only enjoys a good story, but beautiful writing as well, this is a wonderful selection.

Good Book

A Little Piece of Sky is a book that everyone should read. It tells the story of how a person goes from being an insecure little girl to a self confident and self assured young woman. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a little peice of sky to get them through lifes stormy madness.

A Little Piece of Sky

I would recommend this book for anyone to read, young or old. I, not being a real "big reader", found this book to be very interesting and entertaining. I found the characters to be very real, and could relate to all of them. Even though the book isn't very long, Nicole Bailey-Williams writes this story's plot very well and keeps you wanting to know what's going to happen next. Once again, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I saw a piece of Sky, and some other characters, in myself.

A Little Piece of Sky

Mrs Bailey-Williams really out did herslf with this novel. Speaking as a teenager I felt that this story is realistic. Song has been through many trials and tribulation just like many other teenagers,but she made the best out of her situation. This book is a ray of hope for teenagers who are going through hard times in their lives. This was an excellent novel I strongly recommend this novel for people ages 15 and up

INTELLIGENT, POETIC, TOUCHING & REVEALING

Nicole Bailey-Williams has struck gold with A Little Piece of Sky. This little book has so much packed between its pages that will make you laugh, cry and relate. The fact that it reads like a song and the main character's name is Song Byrd is no coincidence. Song's pain and pleasures of life are shared by many women at different stages of their lives, and the fact that she overcomes it all and struts on like the truly empowered sister she evolved into made my heart sing along with her. This book is a must read for those of you who love to read and those of you who read casually. It is absolutely, positively, beautifully done.