Book 48, 2021- Night Came with Many Stars by Simon Van Booy
“I mean the thing that makes family. Not blood but the certainty that you’re never going to be lonesome. That all the joy and all the suffering that we get in life is something that will always be shared.”
Simon Van Booy “Night Came with Many Stars”
This was an unexpected hit for me. I’d read great reviews of Van Booy’s other works but I tend to turn away from family dramas and I wasn’t sure I’d be engaged by this one. One of the most beautiful elements of this book is the recognition of the importance of families of birth and those made by choice and circumstance. I also appreciated that the story covers many of the darker elements of family life in a way that is surprisingly gentle and humanizing. I fell in love with many of the characters over the course of the novel and was sad to have to say goodbye in the final moments of audio. Would highly recommend this novel and especially the audio version.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ALC.
Recommended for: those who love stories told over multiple generations, those who enjoy stories of non-traditional families, and those who like to ponder the human condition.
Content Warnings: Abuse, Sexual Assault, Abortion, Drugs, Addiction, Death, Violence, Incarceration