The Star Side Of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson

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Two sisters, Dionne and Phaedra, live with their mother, Avril, in Brooklyn, New York.  Because of their mother's depression and her struggle to make a living as a single parent they are sent to live with their Grandmother  in St. Johns, Barbados. Naomi Jackson in The Star Side Of Bird Hill writes in detail about what happens to two teen-age girls as they face death and violence.What happens is unexpected and at times, very sad.

For example, while in Barbados, Dionne and Phaedra will hear the most horrible news about their mother. The way both sisters handle the situation is extraordinary. Maybe too extraordinary? Such news must work on the inner soul of a  person for a long while. Then, the father, Errol, comes along with a new lady friend. He just ups the level of stress in the lives of the sisters and the grandmother. Sometimes people come to rescue the ones they love and end up almost destroying them.


I was struck by how quickly reality can slam into our lives. Sometimes changing us forever. While a cultural parade is happening Dionne sees the brutal side of her father. Again, she must act strongly and try to save her mother's best friend, a man named Jean. All of these different circumstances change Avril, Hyacinth and the sisters. It seems setting and place can not protect people from pain. All we can do is hope to survive what comes our way. naomi-jackson.com/bio/



















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