Susan CrandallRecensioni

A headstrong young girl runs away to find her mother and ends up on a road trip with a downtrodden African American woman and an abandoned white baby. Echoes of The Help and The Secret Life of Bees this had themes of family, real and imagined, southern culture and civil rights. Thoroughly enjoyed this library book.

Reminded me of "The Help" and "Secret Life of Bees"

Good book.

Great book with a few twists I didn’t expect. I truly enjoyed this one. I rarely give 5 stars but it deserved 5. From the beginning it held my attention.

Starla Claudelle is a nine-year old dynamo with red hair, who has a lot to learn about the way things are in the 1963 Mississippi she inhabits. She lives with her grandmother, Mamie, who is far from kind and loving, and she dreams of life with her mother, who she believes is a career singer in Nashville. When events unfold in a way that makes her feel she must run away, she heads out to Nashville alone and is given a ride by a black woman, Eula Littleton.

Eula is a damaged soul, but a sweet and caring person, and her meeting with Starla is God’s way of watching out for both of them. They are both misunderstood, but in understanding one another, they come to grips with what it means to be a complete human being.

He’d called her stupid, but she wasn’t stupid. She was just empty.

What ensues is a series of adventures that cause Starla to see first hand the racial divide in a way that she had never seen it before. As she comes to question the way of life she has always known, she develops a bond with Eula that is touching and scary for both of them.

I couldn’t explain the tangled up way things was making me feel. Mamie said I’d understand when I got older. But the older I was getting, the more confused I got.

As you get older, I guess the assumption is that the prejudices have been well taught and whether you understand better or not, you will at least understand the consequences of not adhering and accept this as just the way things are. Thank God for some brave people who stood up and said “no” despite the consequences, like Miss Cyrena, but also those, like Starla, who stand up for what they know is right, without knowing the possible consequences.

As she comes into contact with the Jim Crow world around her, she meets the worst of the white people and the worst of the black, she sees the fear that each can cause in the other, and she recognizes the basic human injustice that is taken for normal in her own world. But, she also sees the best of both, and that many struggle to be good and decent in a world that does not place enough value on those qualities. It is genius to see this through the eyes of a child, an innocent, not yet taught to hate someone for the color of their skin.

I had to hold on to the mad so the sad didn’t drown me.

I love the characters Susan Crandall has invented for this story, particularly Starla, Eula and Miss Cyrena. As improbable as the story was at times, they all seemed uncannily real and the predicaments strangely believable. The book reminded me of The Secret Life of Bees, another coming-of-age tale that addressed these issues. The mood and subject are the same, the story is quite different. Well worth the read.

Excellent, wished there’s a continuous series.
Not a bookclub book. Recommended by Ruth. I finished reading it in July but out November 2021 so that it would coincide w my bookclub date.

This is my bookclub book for November 2021

Part coming of age tale, part family saga, this work of historical fiction put me in mind of V.C. Andrews and I mean her true style when she was alive, not the ghost written books that came out after her death. Although on second thought she would have made it shorter to stretch it into a trilogy. Tallulah James is on her way back to a home she never expected to return to, after news reports that her brother has been arrested for murder. On the way, and once there she recalls what it was like to grow up in such tumultuous times, and the events that led her to flee at such a young age. The story touches on civil rights, mental illness, first loves and family secrets.


I received an advance copy for review.

Decent story, worth reading.

Truly could not put this one down. A deep look into the lives of a troubled family with past secrets keep coming back to haunt them. Memorable characters and a setting so realistically described that I could feel the heat of the summer days. The perfect book for the beach, pool, or comfortable chair at home.

Although slow-going (perhaps just timing on my part) at the start, I ultimately ended up really enjoying this book-- so much so that I read the second half in just a day.

WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall
I was a white, Northern, college girl who had always attended integrated schools in 1963when this book takes place. I was shocked at the historically correct, blatant, racism portrayed in this book of southern Mississippi. If you are offended or triggered by historically correct terms, don’t read this book.
That said, I loved this book. I loved Starla, the 10-year-old runaway: Eula, the young “colored” woman who befriends Starla; and Starla’s father. The characters are wonderful, clearly drawn and “real.” The time period and locale (1963 Mississippi) are shown with all the warts in place. The story is part coming of age, part social history and part murder mystery. The parts work together in a seamless tale that enthralls from the first page to the last.
If Crandall’s other books are as good as this one, I have reading material for a month or two (I’m a fast reader). Book groups will have a wealth of discussion material with Starla and Eula. The book would lead to a great parent/child discussion.
5 of 5 stars

Perhaps a little white-savior-ish but maybe it seems that way because it takes place in the 60's deep south. I enjoyed the story overall though.

2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A book that passes the Bechdel test

Perhaps a little white-savior-ish but maybe it seems that way because it takes place in the 60's deep south. I enjoyed the story overall though.

2020 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A book that passes the Bechdel test

The book started out a little slow but then it picked up and I couldn't put it down. I read the last 200 pages in a day.

Maybe 4.5 as some of this felt like a stretch. However, as an audio book, it completely immersed me in the story and the different dialects rang true and added to the authenticity of the tale. Starla Claudell is 9 years old in 1963 and has difficulties of her own growing up in Cayuga Springs, MS -- she lives with her Mamie who is strict, unkind and judgmental, while her Daddy works offshore on an oil rig and her Mama tries to make a name for herself as a singing star in Nashville. Starla has bright red hair and the temper and impulsiveness to (stereotypically) go with it, though most of her outrage is directed at injustice. After she and Mamie have yet another run-in and punishment on the 4th of July, Starla takes advantage of the town being busy with the parade and fair to run away toward Nashville to find her Mama. Lulu has kept in touch with Starla on her birthdays and fills her head with tales of stardom and being reunited as a happy family. While leaving town on a back road, Starla is offered a ride by a colored (book's terminology) woman, Eula. She accepts and her odyssey begins. Also in the beater truck is a newborn baby -- who is white. Eula found him on church steps and took him to fill a void in her own life. When they arrive at Eula's tiny home, her husband Wallace hits the roof, realizing the repercussions of picking up two white children. He is not a nice man, to put it mildly, and now all three are in danger. After a domestic blow-out and tragedy, Eula, Starla and baby James take to the road to try to get to Nashville and Starla's mother, who she believes will make everything all right. The relationship that develops between Starla and Eula is beautiful and sweet and Starla quickly learns that her own problems were tiny compared to the difficulties of being black in the South in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. To see her learn and reason things out and become aware of and angry at the injustices around her is touching. Her enlightenment comes with a price -- her own innocence. After a very challenging journey with kindness and cruelty alike, the trio arrives in Nashville, finds Lulu and faces further disillusionment. Meanwhile, Starla's Daddy and even Mamie are beside themselves with worry and the journey would've been in vain if not for all the growth it promotes. Everyone (except Lulu) ends up back in Cayuga Springs to face what they ran from and try to hang on to what they've become. It is a satisfactory ending, if a bit too "neat". But this book really resonated -- it could be the To Kill a Mockingbird for this next century. Echos of The Help here too. Some pretty mature material, but ok for 12 and up. Starla inadvertently sums up the story when she repeats what her Daddy taught her: "Being brave wasn't not being scared. Being brave was keeping going when you were."

Good book. The voice was consistent. Never sure why Black women save white children. There lives are so much worse than the kids

did not finish. did not like.

A great read even if I had to suspend my imagination slightly for a couple of times. The story is set in the 1950's and is really an expose on race matters at that time. The book takes its name from an old southern saying that if one is scared, they ought to whistle as they walk past the graveyard, as if nothing is happening. The physical setting of the story varies from inner Mississippi to Nashville. I would highly recommend this read. 321 pages

The story takes place in the Jim Crow south in 1963. There were points where I had to suspend disbelief at some of the plot mechanisms that drove the story forward, but the story about Starla's journey and her education about the world and people around her was enjoyable. The lessons she learns are primarily about relationships (e.g. the messy relationship of a battered wife and her husband, the relationship and impact an individual has with his/her community) and what drives those relationships. Starla is a pistol and I loved Eula. I listened to the audiobook - and it was well done.

It is a lie for me to put in my Read Shelf, I couldn't get into this book. I tried three times and felt like it was a homework assignment more than an enjoyable book. I just couldn't get into the 1920's thing or the skywriting theme. I admit, when it comes to Drama, I'll take mine from a 6th grader not doing their homework rather than read about it. Plus ,I think that this would serve 7th grade more than 6th grade.

4.5 stars.

Weaving seamlessly between the 1960s and 1970s, The Myth of Perpetual Summer by Susan Crandall is an engrossing coming of age story full of family secrets and heartrending dysfunction.

Tallulah James and her siblings, Griff, Walden and Dharma live in the small town of Lamoyne, MS with their parents, Drayton and Margo. Tallulah is close to her grandmother who is the epitome of a traditional of Southern woman. Margo and Drayton's relationship is turbulent and they frequently engage in screaming fights that are often precipitated by Drayton's wild mood swings and Margo's frequent absences due to involvement in many causes and social activism. With Margo often flitting off to her next cause and Drayton sinking into dark depressions, Tallulah is tasked with raising the twins and with Griff's help, keeping food on the table. Following a series of heartbreaking events, Tallulah sets off for California where she remains until a family crisis brings home.

Tallulah has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility where her family is concerned and she often blames herself when things go wrong. She is frustrated with Margo's ease in leaving her family as she joins one cause after another. Equally troubling is the extreme unpredictability of Drayton's moods which veer from extreme highs to debilitating depression with bouts of normality in between. As she and Griff grow older, the duties at home mostly fall on Tallulah as Griff becomes involved in activities that keep him away from their dysfunctional family life.

Although Tallulah leaves Lamoyne, she cannot quite escape the effects of her childhood. She is closed off and finds it very difficult to open up about her past. Tallulah has managed to carve out a successful career that she dearly loves. However, it is not until she returns home after her brother ends up in serious trouble that she realizes how empty her life in California is. Upon her return to Lamoyne, Tallulah discovers disconcerting information that her grandmother has kept hidden and it is not until she presses her for answers that both women can begin healing.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer is a multi-generational novel that is absolutely compelling. Tallulah is a sympathetic character who is forced to grow up much too fast due to her chaotic home life. Her grandmother is quite dignified but her habit of sweeping problems under the rug is detrimental to herself and everyone around her. Throughout this captivating novel, Susan Crandall sensitively explores the long-term effects that undiagnosed mental illness, disinterested parenting and family secrets can have on family members. This glimpse of life during an oppressive and tumultuous time in the South will linger in readers' hearts and minds long after the last page is turned.

Set in the racially charged south, Susan Crandall’s Whistling Past the Graveyard is a beautifully written, thought-provoking coming of age story. Please click HERE to read my review in its entirety.

First off let me say I didn't finish this book, but skimmed the last 200 pages. Secondly, I would actually give this book 2.5 stars if I was able. The 2 star rating seems a bit harsh since I didn’t dislike the book; the writing is solid, the dialog authentic and the story relatively interesting. So why did I stop reading and give it only a 2 star rating? The story and characters were not as complex as I was expecting. I feel like this is more of a book for younger readers (middle school or high school). Readers who may not be that familiar with the South, and specifically the Jim Crow era would learn a little something about both. I read books for Children, Juveniles & YAs, but I like to know up front the audience to whom it is aimed. Another coming of age novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is classified as a YA novel, which I could never understand, since it covered complex themes, had fully fleshed out characters, and he took an over-written period in history (WWII) and made it seem fresh and original. I fear many adults may have missed an excellent book because it was miscategorized, but I digress.

Alas, I have limited time to read, and so I have to be selective (not that I don’t read mindless cozy mysteries occasionally-but I know upfront I am reading for sheer mindless entertainment, not great writing or thought provoking ideas). But when I see a book targeted to adults being heralded as a classic by both critics and fellow customer reviewers my expectations are high. This book fell very short of my expectations (and I’m sure it didn’t help that the last book I finished, for the second time, was The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton-now there’s a Classic!), but I would recommend it to middle school students and high school students.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer by Susan Crandall is a 2018 Gallery Books publication.

Heart wrenching southern style coming of age tale, bracketed into a touching story of eventual hope!

Mississippi during the 60s and 70s is boiling pot of tension and scrutiny. It’s the perfect backdrop for this coming of age story centered around Tallulah James and her dysfunctional southern family.

Tallulah copes as best she can in a house full of secrets and miseries. Her father exhibits the hallmark symptoms of mental illness in a time when it was something people didn’t understand or discuss. Her mother has little regard for parenthood, which leaves Tallulah, her brother, Griff, and younger twin siblings under their grandmother’s supervision most of the time.

Her grandmother’s overwhelming emphasis on propriety is overbearing, and her parent’s constant arguments and failings, leaves Tallulah desperate to escape Mississippi. Eventually, circumstances force her hand, propelling her to leave home and start a new life for herself. But several years later, a horrendous family situation sends Tallulah racing back home, back into her grandmother’s life, where she also reconnects with her old friend, Ross.

As memories from the past collide with the present, the family is finally forced to face the buried truths that have burdened them for far too long, paving the way for long overdue understanding, forgiveness, redemption, and healing.

I have been trying to work this book into my reading schedule for over a year and a half. It was supposed to be a summertime beach read for me, but I’m glad I ended up reading the book now, instead. It’s been a cold, dreary week, (proving there is no perpetual summer in Texas either, contrary to popular belief), and this book pulled me away from my present time and place, sucking me into a good old- fashioned southern family drama.

This story is absorbing, and so heartbreakingly sad. My heart ached for these children who longed for paternal love and guidance, but all too often had to be the adults in the family. Dark, buried secrets, is the foundation upon which lies, and scandals and whispers are built around the family, and Tallulah bears the brunt of something she doesn’t fully understand, as a teenage girl.

While the simmering Mississippi climate creates a haunting and taut atmosphere, the emotions run long and deep, building and cloying, desperate for a release. The dam will finally burst, and the relief is palpable and immediate. While the aftermath still leaves some uncertainty to contend with, overall, the predominant feeling is one of hope and new beginnings.

This is a terrific drama, which addresses a host of family issues, but with an emphasis on mental illness. The time frame reveals how once taboo topics are finally becoming less stigmatized and better understood.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Ross is THE show stealer! He is the most satisfying character in the book, all the way around. His unconditional love, patience, kindness, and loyalty are a much- needed balm. However, I also thought his own bit of family rebelliousness, which resulted in a most fitting career choice, was wonderfully ironic.

Although this book was marketed as a summer beach read, the weightiness is balanced enough to make it a great year -round choice. If you enjoy family sagas, historical fiction, or coming of age stories- this book is one you might want to consider!

4 stars

This book takes place in the South during the time of segregation. A young girl named Starla runs away from home in search of her mother and along the way she encounters many obstacles and meets people who will have an impact on her life. I really enjoyed this book so much. Watching Starla as she becomes stronger and wiser, persevering no matter how hard things got. I liked the strong female characters that are in this book: Starla stubborn and sassy, EULA resilient and caring heart, and ms. Cyrena is intelligent and full of wisdom. As I read this book I imagined the characters all speaking in a Southern accent. I loved the bond that formed between EULA and Starla as they fought through obstacles together and helped each other to grow and become stronger people and Starla learned that being a family doesn't necessarily mean that you need to share the same DNA.
I definitely recommend this book.