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Whistling Past the Graveyard
Whistling Past the Graveyard | Susan Crandall
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 roadtrip. Whistling past the graveyard. Thats 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 runs away from her strict grandmothers Mississippi home. Starlas destination is Nashville, where her mother went to become a famous singer, abandoning Starla when she was three. Walking a lonely country road, Starla accepts a ride from Eula, a black woman traveling alone with a white baby. Now, on the road trip that will change her life forever, Starla sees for the first time life as it really isas she reaches for a dream of how it could one day be.
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BarkingMadRead
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September reads!

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BarkingMadRead
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When you have to check out, but it‘s too early to go the airport…..

Clare-Dragonfly That pastry looks spectacular! 7mo
BarkingMadRead @Clare-Dragonfly it‘s not quite true king cake, but it was delightful! 7mo
51 likes2 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Omg I almost forgot to read my #bookspin for august! I already finished my #doublebookspin luckily I have time to finish this one before the month is out, so@I can stay caught up! Whew! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Wow, that was a close call! 😂 7mo
44 likes1 stack add1 comment
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suvata
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Pickpick

Starla, a nine-year-old girl, who run away from her strict grandmother‘s Mississippi home in 1963, befriends a lonely woman suffering loss and abuse, and embarks on a life-changing road trip to Nashville, where her mother went to become a famous singer, abandoning Starla when she was three. Walking a lonely country road, Starla accepts a ride from Eula, a black woman traveling alone with a white baby - a trip that will change her life forever.

55 likes3 stack adds
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AmyK1
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Pickpick

Nine year old Starla runs away from her home in Mississippi in 1963. She meets Eula, a black woman traveling with a white newborn, who agrees to take her to her mother in Nashville. They escape from danger time and again and Starla learns what it means to love and respect all people, not just those who look like her.

I loved this, especially the relationship between Starla and Eula.

Texreader Sounds good. Lovely review 3y
42 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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BridgetteM
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I got this lovely book in the mail last week for #LMPBC #GroupI! 💕💕💕 My book will go in the mail tomorrow.

robinb Yay!!! Glad it arrived safely...enjoy! 3y
S3V3N I love this one. 3y
BridgetteM @BeaG I‘m about to dive in! :) 3y
43 likes1 stack add3 comments
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robinb
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@BridgetteM your #LMPBC book is coming your way (hopefully by Saturday). So keep an eye out for a bunch of bananas 🍌 . 😆😆

In other news, @megnews I received your #LMPBC book today…thanks!! 😊

@Susanita @suvata

BridgetteM Thank you! Looking forward to getting it in the mail! :) 3y
robinb @BridgetteM 👍👍 Hope you enjoy it! 3y
robinb @BridgetteM just checking in to make sure you received your #LMPBC book from me? 3y
36 likes3 comments
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robinb
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Pickpick

I love this author‘s writing. Although from Indiana, she writes with a deep sense of the Deep South. This one is set in 1963 Mississippi and features an adventurous 9 yo named Starla. She embarks on a road-trip odyssey (to escape her tyrannical grandmother) from MS to Nashville to find her star-obsessed mother Lulu who left when she was 3. She meets Eula, a black woman with her own problems, and together, through a series of dangerous mishaps, 🔻

robinb they come to realize that their differences only make them unique not “separate” and discover a whole new definition of what it means to be a family. Her writing is both lyrical and heartfelt, and her characters insightful and heroic. While I loved this outing, the tagged book below is even more of a favorite. Recommended. 4.25/5⭐️ 🔻 3y
robinb This was my #LMPBC pick, and I look forward to seeing what the rest of my group thinks. 😊 @suvata @megnews @BridgetteM @Susanita 3y
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robinb @BridgetteM I‘ll mail this out to you on Monday. 😊 3y
megnews I love a book with a road trip and set in the South. Looking forward to it! 3y
robinb @megnews 👍👍😊 3y
51 likes6 comments
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robinb
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And we‘re off to a rollicking start…

😆😆😂😂😂❤️

wanderinglynn 🤣🤣🤣 3y
Texreader I‘m drawn in on the title alone! Stacked! 3y
LeahBergen 😆😆 3y
40 likes3 comments
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Readswithcoffee
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Pickpick

Mississippi during the summer of 1963 is a difficult environment for nine-year-old Starla and Eula, a black woman traveling with a white baby. The unlikely trio form a special bond on a journey fraught with danger. The story drew me in even though Starla‘s behavior fluctuated between infuriating and endearing. The Audiobook narrator, Amy Rubinstein, is excellent.

S3V3N I loved this one! 3y
39 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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S3V3N
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1. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson 2. Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall. 3. “You know what selfies can show you? Yourself. And you are worth looking at. You are worth marveling at.” Nora McInerny, No Happy Endings: A Memoir @rachelsbrittain #weekendreads

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TerriGreen
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Pickpick

1963, Mississippi, 9 year old Starla runs away and is offered a ride by Eula, a black woman traveling with a white baby. The three embark upon a journey to find Starla‘s mom. I just loved these characters. Book 53 4⭐️

Tracyantoon Cover is so pretty. Sounds great too. 4y
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Mshookquilts
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Pickpick

Unloved and harshly treated Starla runs away from home. Eula offers her cold water and, thus their adventures & misadventures begin. Starla‘s eyes are opened to the unfair treatment of “colored”.

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bookish6
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Week 25: A book with a child narrator
Reading: Whistling Past The Graveyard by Susan Crandall

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S3V3N
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Pickpick

"My daddy says that when you do somethin' to distract you from your worstest fears, it's like whistlin' past the graveyard. You know, making a racket to keep the scaredness and the ghosts away."
I saw reviews stating the story wasn't plausible for a 9 year old to say and do what Starla did in the story. I taught in a low income elementary school, I know for a fact that a 9 year old can mature quickly depending on what they were exposed to in life.

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QueenJen
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Pickpick

3⭐
Read this yesterday. It's been awhile since I read a book in a day. I don't know that this was anything special. I started off not sure I liked where the story was going, but I had to know just one more thing, which lead to another. Mostly, I think I really enjoyed having the afternoon to read and this is the book that happened to come in from my library hold.

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bodacioustchr
Pickpick

I loved this story of a young girl growing up in Mississippi in 1963. The dialogue was very realistic and funny at times. The girl learns many lessons after running away from her grandmother's home. Highly recommend.

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NatalieR
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Pickpick

Great story that takes place in 1963 with a rebellious 9-year-old girl who is so much wiser beyond her years. She learns many valuable life lessons and is a strong advocate for civil rights. The story is full of powerful messages and strong relationships. #MountTBR

goodbyefrancie This is in my #MountTBR, too. So many books, so little time! 6y
robinb I need to read this one! Loved her latest! ❤️ 6y
NatalieR @goodbyefrancie I totally understand! 📚😊 6y
NatalieR @robinb ooohhh! I‘ll have to check that one out! Thanks!! 😊 6y
robinb @NatalieR 👍🙌🏼😊 6y
127 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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bookworm_boymom
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Having a nice Saturday morning snuggling with my Keegan and Dobby while he plays little big planet and I read 💜 #boymom #dobby #catlife #cat #catsofinstagram #tuxedocat #whistlingpastthegraveyard #book #books #bookaddict #bookstagram #booknerd #bookgeek #bookworm #booklife #booklove #bibliophile

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AndreaReads
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Here is my version of #2016BestNine! Of the 26 books I completed this year (one over my goal, yay!), these were my favorite reads for various reasons! Hope everyone has a wonderful new year! #SeasonsReadings #2016FavoriteReads

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AndreaReads
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Pickpick

Seriously one of the best books I read this year! It is exactly the kind of story that keeps you wondering what's going to happen and how it's going to happen all told through the perspective of a sassy narrator! An excellent read that compliments timeless stories such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Help. Thank you for the suggestion, @Liberty It was an excellent read!

15 likes3 stack adds
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Sarahr875
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#setinasmalltown #photoadaynov16 I don't exactly remember if Ove was in a small town, but the story centered on his neighborhood so I feel like that counts. I always wanted to live near the greasers in the Outsiders and be their friend. And last, Whistling Past the Graveyard was a sad, sweet book that took place in a couple different little towns.

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shaelyni
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Pickpick

Took me a little bit to get enough into this to where I was REALLY paying attention on the audiobook. A great read though & I couldn't stop listening toward the end.

This will be my "book about a road trip" for the 2016 Popsugar Challenge ?

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shaelyni
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🎧 currently listening to

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SusanCoulby
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My next book club selection!

SusanCoulby Kept me reading but I feel that some of the characters and dialogue were too pat and that too many situations were too over the top. Some subtlety would've been appreciated. 8y
5 likes2 stack adds1 comment