Shake Down the Stars (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This impressive first novel follows events in the lives of its three main characters from the dawn of their womanhood to the conclusion of the climactic events in their lives, taking place during the first years of WW II. "Romantic in the best sense of the word, brimming with tension and drama, this involving novel is impossible to put down," lauded PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The publisher has compared this novel with Rosamunde Pilcher's The Shell Seekers ( LJ 1/88), which St. Martin's also published, and, indeed, this has the same atmosphere of everyday life in abnormal times. Beatrice, Lucy, and Virginia are from the same village, though from different backgrounds. Each wants love, marriage, children, and a vocation. Each finds them but not in the way she has anticipated, nor even with the man she expected. As World War II continues in England, problems and crises are overcome by individual effort. The narrative is written in the present tense, which leads to confusion of verb tenses, but the reader forgets the grammatical problems for long periods in the immediacy of the story. This first author has an enjoyable hit on her hands. Troll Book Club main selection.
- Andrea Lee Shuey, Dallas P.L.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 642 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Mass Market Paper; First Edition edition (October 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312917295
• ISBN-13: 978-0312917296
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,705,838 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read following 3 women through W.W.II England, November 6, 1998

By A Customer

Lose yourself in the stories of Virginia, Lucy and Beattie. Watch three young women grow and change as their lives adjust to life in England during World War II. As the war blurs the divisions between the classes, Virginia, Beattie and Lucy struggle with accepting new challenges and overcoming stereotypes. Romance, rejection, triumphs, losses - this book has it all. One of my favorite books of this genre.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite book of all time, November 18, 2006

By	A. Guest (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Shake Down the Stars (Hardcover)

I found this book at a yard sale many years ago, and I've since read it a dozen or more times. It reaches in and grips your soul, it speaks directly to the core of your being. It's a story of 3 women and how their lives intertwine through the years, and how war and love effect their lives. I have never found another book quite like it. It's spectacular and I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing reading, October 9, 2005

By	Zandrea (Saskatchewan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shake Down the Stars (Hardcover)

One of the most heart wrenching and true to life stories I have ever enjoyed. Frances is truly a gifted writer. I felt as if I was one of the girls friends, I lived all their moments. I wish all books could be as down to earth as this one.