The Life History of a Star [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Kelly Easton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2002

A 2001 Golden Kite Award nominee

For more than a year, fourteen-year-old Kristin uses her diary to record her confused thoughts about the physical changes brought on by adolescence and the emotional strain on her family from living with the "ghost" of her beloved older brother David who was physically and mentally destroyed while serving in Vietnam.

An Accelerated Reader® title

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Watergate and Patty Hearst help form the 1973-1974 backdrop to this arresting first novel, told through journal entries. Kristin Folger's typical coming-of-age crises (beginning menstruation, ambivalence about her awakening sexuality) are overshadowed by the "ghost" in her attic and its pervasive influence on her family's life. A profusion of period details (references to TV shows, bands, products) and sarcastic observations about her parents' shortcomings and school get the story off to a slightly choppy start. But it doesn't take long for the 14-year-old to find her voice she reports psychologically rich dreams, recapitulates her revealing dialogues with friends and longs for escape (at one point she even sends for a brochure from a ritzy Swiss boarding school). At times, the novel is genuinely funny, perhaps all the more so because of its wrenching contrasts. A quarter of the way through, the "ghost" is revealed as Kristin's beloved older brother, David, destroyed by the Vietnam War. David's condition is never spelled out; it is enough to see its effects on the family. Easton is ambitious in her combination of the witty and the tragic, and the authenticity of her protagonist is never in doubt. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-Life is difficult for 14-year-old Kristin Folger. Through her journal entries over the course of a year, it becomes clear that the "ghost" who haunts her attic is her beloved older brother David, who has returned from the Vietnam War a shattered person. She is also troubled by changes taking place in her own world-her best friend has become boy crazy, her closest male friend is putting the moves on her, and her parents are separating. The format makes this novel easy to read, and it certainly allows readers to get to know Kristin, who comes through as a very real teen. However, this format proves ineffective at letting readers see the other figures in her life as real people, and she is a harsh critic of those around her. Her mother seems to have no redeeming qualities throughout most of the book; a revelation by Kristin before David's death shows that her writings haven't told the whole story of this strong but troubled woman. Also, the narrative sometimes heads in too many directions. At the end, Kristin learns that "The atoms that make up the earth are formed inside of stars. Nothing really dies. Everything is transformed." As everything in her life changes, so does she; this is natural, inevitable, and life-giving. This is an idea that many young women will be able to appreciate. The 1970s backdrop, coupled with a strong-willed character facing real-life changes, will help this story find an audience with teens who face many of the same struggles today. Despite some flaws, this novel should be well received.
Toni D. Moore, Simon Kenton High School, Independence, KY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (November 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078624786X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786247868
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,964,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kelly Easton grew up in Los Angeles, California. From the time she can first remember, she was obsessed with the destruction of the beauty of the area, orange groves and strawberry fields and charming downtowns, by the suburban sprawl of the seventies. Her search for the perfect place has sent her all over the place, most recently North Carolina and now New England.

Kelly has an MFA in playwriting from UC San Diego. She teaches in a low residency MFA program in writing for children and young adults at Hamline University, and lives on islands in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She also teaches creative writing to kids in summer workshops, and helps other writers edit their books. Kelly lives with her husband, Michael Ruben, and their children: Isaac, Isabelle, Mollie and Rebecca (plus their dog Garfield). She has just finished her first adult novel, Dreams in the Land of Photographs. You can reach her through her website: www.kellyeaston.com

Kelly's novels have won many awards, among them, the Asian/Pacific American Literature Award, the ASTAL Middle School Book of the Year Award, NYPL Book For the Teen Age, Kentucky Bluegrass Masterlist (Hiroshima Dreams); an ALA Quick Pick listing, and nomination for the ABE award, 2010 (Aftershock); Atlanta parents Best Book, and NYPL Book for the Teen Age (White Magic); a Boston Author's Club Award, Westcherster's Choice Best Book, CCBC Best Books selection (Walking on Air); and a Golden Kite Honor, Booksense Top Ten (The Life History of a Star). Her newest book, The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes, is a Jr. Library Guild selection.

She loves to hear from readers!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant satire, March 21, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Life History of a Star (Hardcover)

This book is masterpiece: funny and intense. A great read for adults as well as teens.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lindsey's Review "Life History of a Star", December 9, 2004

By 

Lindsey (St. Louis, Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life History of a Star (Paperback)

The Life History of a Star by Kelly Easton is an interesting perspective of the Vietnam War. The novel does not follow the life of a solider in combat, but of a soldier's sister back home. The book is the diary of Kristen Folger. She is a 14 year old girl growing up during the 1970s trying to survive her first year of high school. However unlike most teenage girls, she has a "ghost" lurking in the attic of her house. Clues throughout the story show that the "ghost" isn't actually a ghost but Kristen's older brother, David. David was drafted into the Vietnam War after his high school career. He was the town's hero and excelled in everything he did. However, when he returned from the war because of injuries he was never the same. This novel shows how one family was torn apart because of the horrible aftermath of the war.
People study history and often wonder do we shape the times or do the times shape us? Kristen Folger and her family's lives were altered because of the Vietnam War. If the Vietnam War would have not occurred her brother would not have been drafted into the war, he would have never been physically or mentally harmed and could still be the hero of the town. Because of her brother's, "the ghost's", mental and physical state her family experiences many hardships. Kristen's other brother, Bobby, wishes it could have been him taken to war instead of David which causes Bobby to seem upset most of the time. Also, because of the stress caused by trying to take care of David her parents divorce. Finally, Kristen isn't fully able to enjoy her high school years because she is always dwelling on what happened to David. This novel proves the times shape us.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life History of a Star, May 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Life History of a Star (Hardcover)

Great book - interesting characters, insightful and witty. I didn't want to put it down once I started it. I strongly recommend it for adults as well as teens.