Whistling Past the Graveyard

by Susan Crandall

Book Overview

From an award-winning author comes a wise and tender coming-of-age story about a nine-year-old girl who runs away from her Mississippi home in 1963, befriends a lonely woman suffering loss and abuse, and embarks on a life-changing road trip.

Whistling past the graveyard. That's what Daddy called it when you did something to keep your mind off your most worstest fear...

In the summer of 1963, nine-year-old Starla Claudelle...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1476740046
• ISBN13: 9781476740041
• Release Date: February 2014
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

4 stars

WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall It’s the height of summer in Mississippi 1963. Nine year old, Starla Jane Claudelle (what a great name!), can’t seem to stay out of trouble or adhere to the strict rules of her grandmother. She decides to run away to find her mother in Nashville who she believes is a famous singer. I really loved Starla’s opinionated, sassy and precocious personality. She’s strong willed, impulsive and sometimes incorrigible, but her heart is in the right place. I laughed out loud at some of the snappy responses and thoughts Starla had throughout the book. Having Starla be the narrator for this story was brilliant as it showed the events of the time (segregation, Jim Crow, NAACP, JFK) through the eyes of someone who is innocent to the harsh realities and injustices of the world. Starla sees what the adults around her refuse to see. Her observations throughout the story are wise and on point. Eula and Starla’s bond was such a treasure. They faced their fears and helped each other throughout their rather eventful journey. I love how it all developed organically and gradually. Although parts of this were a little unbelievable, the overall spirit of the characters and themes of acceptance, found family and love made up for its few shortcomings. A heartwarming and poignant coming of age tale - highly recommend! Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Whistling past the graveyard is a wonderfully written book.

It was hard to put down

Not enough stars for this book

I don’t have words enough to tell you what a wonderful story this is. I loved every page. Highly recommend!!!!