Thursday, August 8, 2013

Shake Down the Stars

Shake Down the Stars
Author: Renee Swindle
Publisher: New American Library
Publication Date: August 6th, 2013

Book Description: 
When you’re in trouble, and sinking fast, whom do you call?

Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?

When Piper’s ex-husband announces his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one step, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most…and show her how to live and laugh again.

Idgie Says:
A book that brings out a chuckle is always a welcome book in my house.  This is not a necessarily funny book, but Piper's way of thinking has a decidedly humorous and sarcastic flavor to it. She has endured tragedy, has a family that definitely goes after the good life, leaving a rather bad taste in Piper's mouth.. .and yours, but she still manages to see a bit of the rainbow after the storm.  On top of family issues and the loss of a child, she is also having a battle with the bottle.  She is not yet sure if it's a real problem or simply an attempt to hide from life.

Read the first chapter (link below).  You'll be hooked instantly. The 'interlude' with Selwyn is priceless.

I am definitely going to find Renee's other work and check it out.  I like the way she writes.


Read the first chapter of Shake Down the Stars


A Conversation with Renee Swindle about Shake Down the Stars