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Book Review of Set the Stars Alight

Set the Stars Alight
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 599 more book reviews


"I wonder if it's even possible to overestimate the significance of a single life ... Words spoken, hearts changed, a meal provided to a hungry sojourner - who knows? Who knows how far everyday actions reach? It's incredible when you think of it." - Amanda Dkyes, 'Set the Stars Alight'

Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes is a heady reading experience - from the literary writing, to the celestial theme of stars and stargazing, to the intricately crafted dual timeline. The author's 2019 debut novel Whose Waves These Are was a favorite of mine and Stars exceeded my lofty expectations.

The present-day storyline features Lucy and Dashel who grew up together, drifted apart in young adulthood, and reconnect at a crucial moment. The second timeline, 200 years earlier, features Frederick, son of a bitter Navy admiral, who finds meaning in the stars and with people of a very different lot in life. Read literally, Stars is an incredible novel, but when considered a parable, this book tells a deeply meaningful story of love, sacrifice, and redemption.

Thank you Bethany House and Netgalley for the egalley; all opinions are my own.