Review: The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

Book: The Silver Star

Author: Jeanette Walls

Publish Date: June 11th, 2013

Published By: Scribner

Genre: Memoir

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

The Holladay girls "Bean" and Liz have a very eccentric mother and when she leaves them alone for the umpteenth time,the girls aren't concerned. When a police car turns up outside the house two months later,Liz & Ben decide to head to Virginia where their uncle Tinsley lives.

Ben,who has never known her father,learns more about him in the next few weeks and months than she ever knew before.Both girls also learn why their mother left Virginia in the first place. Against the wishes of Uncle Tinsley,they begin working to earn some spending money. They begin babysitting and doing office work for Jerry Maddox and his wife.Jerry Maddox bullies his mill workers and abuses his wife and yet no one is brave enough to stand up to him.

That all changes when something happens to Liz while she is in the car with Jerry Maddox. The formerly talkative Liz is now,quiet and withdrawn. It takes Bean's courage and the family's agreement to make sure that Jerry Maddox never abuses his power again.

Disclaimer: I got this book from Jennifer of ARCycling 

Review: 

Memoirs can be either really good or really bad.They are never in between.I love memoirs because they are often so raw and bring out so many feelings. This one was no different.Initially it started out really slow and I was a little worried that I would hate the book. Once they got to Virginia and I got to meet more of their mother, Charlotte's family,it picked up quickly.

I would write a novel on Jerry Maddox and his wife. I have no patience for a woman who doesn't stand up for herself. I would NEVER allow anyone to treat me the way Jerry Maddox treated his wife Doris. Of course I'm aware that getting away from an abusive situation is not always easy and sometimes it can be more dangerous to leave. That said,Doris was a fool to stand by her husband knowing the kind of man he was.Especially as it came out that Liz was not the first girl he had tried something with.

Bean was such a courageous kid.I absolutely adored her. She struck me as the type who would be very resilient no matter what her circumstances were.She wasn't quite as outspoken as her sister was. Liz was definitely a smart young lady and Jerry Maddox definitely damaged her. She was still smart but the light sort of went out of her eyes.

Their mother was totally eccentric.I am not a doctor but I wondered if she had some sort of mental illness. Please don't flame me for this but the eccentricities really spoke to me and made me wonder if she was mentally all there or if the loss of Bean's father many years ago had changed her somehow.

My favorite part was after the incident between Liz & Jerry Maddox. From that point on,the town seemed to come together to make sure that justice was served for what Jerry Maddox had put Liz through. I only wish that part had come just a little sooner as Jerry Maddox had given me the heebie jeebies from the beginning. 

This book is getting 4 stars from me. It was a great read that I honestly wished had been a little longer. The end seemed rushed,even unfinished to me. I would definitely recommend it to all of my readers.