The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

Heidi Durow's book is a story of despair and hope. It is the story of a 14 year old girl in the 1980s trying to figure out who she is and what she is. Rachel, the daughter of a black serviceman and a Dutch mother, lives in Chicago with her mother. After her mother's and sibling's shocking death, Rachel moves to Portland OR to live with her black paternal grandmother. Race now becomes apparent to her. "I learn that black people don't have blue eyes. I learn that I am black. I have blue eyes". The story progress as Rachel matures and grapples with the question "What are you? while at the same time Durrow gradually reveals what really happened to Rachel's mother and siblings on the rooftop.

I really enjoyed the fact that most of the story takes place in Portland, naming familiar sites like Laurelhurst and Oaks Park.

Reveiw by Denise R

This book can be found at http://www.newberglibrary.org/