Stars of Alabama by Sean Dietrich ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

This beautiful, well-written book is about hope during the darkest times. Even though the main characters face what seem like insurmountable problems, they are always working and hoping for a better life. They could face their problems because of the families they created out of the people they loved and who loved them -- not families by blood but families out of love.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

July 2019; Thomas Nelson; 978-0785226376
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); southern fiction

This Depression-era book has three main characters and the story is told by each character. There seems to be no connection between the characters during most of the book but these stories intertwine in surprising ways and we see the real stars.

• Coot is a 14-year-old child preacher who is popular for tent revivals. He finally gets to the point that he can no longer trick poor people coming to see him and he escapes from the owner with the profits from his revivals. After that, he is on the run and heading somewhere that he can be free of his past.
• Marigold had a baby out of wedlock and was thrown out of her family home at 15. She leaves her baby in the woods and tries to steal some food for them. After a night in jail, she goes back to her campsite and finds that her baby is gone. After that, she feels that her life is over and ends up living with a group of ladies when she finds out that she has power in her hands that makes her a local legend.
• Vern and Pete are migrant workers who find a baby in the woods and decide to raise her. Their new family is added to when a mother and her two children try to rob them of food and end up becoming part of the new family.

The three main characters were memorable and their journeys make this a book that you don't want to miss. Even in the darkest of times, there is still hope for the future. The story is beautifully written and the three main characters touched my heart.

Buy Stars of Alabama at Amazon

About the Author

Sean Dietrich is a columnist, podcaster, speaker, and novelist, known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Southern Living, The Tallahassee Democrat, Good Grit, South Magazine, The Bitter Southerner, Thom Magazine, and The Mobile Press Register, and he has authored ten books.

Connect with Sean
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Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling. She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter. 

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