The Stars Can Wait: A Novel [Hardcover]

Jay Basu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2002

In this powerful debut set in 1940s German-occupied Poland, a young Catholic boy unearths the secrets of his brother's mysterious life.

Fifteen-year-old Gracian Sofka is a stargazer. Every night for the past year he has broken curfew to view the constellations from a clearing in the forest-that is, until his older brother, Pawel, discovers his secret pastime. And now that the German troops have stepped up patrols of the area, the gruff, mysterious Pawel forbids his brother to continue his risky activity.

Life in the previously quiet village of Malenkowice grows increasingly precarious. Men are accosted on the street by German soldiers, Gracian's widowed mother risks imprisonment to smuggle food, and Gracian's co-workers at the coal mines grow restless. As tension builds in the town, it also grows within Gracian's own household. After a run-in with his sister's husband, Pawel is forced to leave the house, becoming even more distant and elusive in Gracian's eyes.

Then one day Pawel presents Gracian with a telescope, allowing the boy to slowly discover the truth about his brother's shadowy past. But while he succeeds in unlocking Pawel's secrets, Gracian is blind to the inevitable tragedy hurtling toward them all-and to his unwitting role as its catalyst.

Haunting and lyrical, The Stars Can Wait possesses the intense, concentrated power of a fable and introduces a stunning new voice to American readers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A young Polish boy with a passion for stargazing and astronomy tries to cope with the ramifications of his older brother's erratic behavior in Basu's poignant debut novel, which takes place during WWII in a small village in historically riven Silesia, at the beginning of the Nazi occupation of Poland. Gracian S¢fka is the 15-year-old protagonist, a dreamer who manages to endure his days laboring in a coal mine by wandering out into the woods at night to watch the stars, despite the constant presence of Nazi guards who could kill him. His older brother, Pawel, finds more direct ways to deal with the enemy, starting with his stint in the Polish army, during which he loses a couple of fingers fighting against the Germans. Pawel is equally belligerent with his own family, beating up his brother-in-law after eluding a prison sentence for smuggling. The turning point in the relationship between the brothers comes when Pawel gives Gracian a telescope to pursue his hobby. The boy also uses the instrument to spy on Pawel's courtship with the most beautiful girl in the village as well as his brother's maneuverings with the local underground. Basu is a lyrical writer, painting an eloquent picture of two brothers who are polar opposites as he traces Pawel's inevitable descent against the inexorable rise of the Nazis. There are many familiar elements to this WWII parable, but what is relatively rare is the power and craft of Basu's portrayal as he examines the impact of war on a family as seen through the eyes of a sensitive and precocious adolescent. Author tour.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Tensions are building within and without the Sofka home in 1940 Poland. The German threat is everywhere, and renegade son Pawel is restless, angry, and involved in dangerous undercover work. His 15-year-old brother, Gracian, who dutifully works in the coal mines to help support their widowed mother, their sister, and her family, seeks solace by feeding his passion for astronomy, stargazing late at night in the nearby forest. Pawel furiously puts a stop to these forays, afraid for his young brother's safety, and attempts to soothe the boy's despair with the gift of a telescope. It is not long before the Sofkas implode and Pawel is banished from the home. He joins his beloved fiance, Anna, leaving behind a bereft Gracian, whose longing for his brother's company gives way to curiosity, triggering a heartbreak that races toward tragedy. First-time novelist Basu offers up a rare honesty in storytelling that cuts to the soul. Highly recommended.
- Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1st edition (February 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805068872
• ISBN-13: 978-0805068870
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,404,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive First Novel, June 9, 2004

By 

John P. Rooney "John" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Stars Can Wait: A Novel (Hardcover)

"The Stars Can Wait" by Jay Basu, Henry Holt and Company, New York 2002.

Jay Basu has written an impressive first novel dealing with a young boy, Gracian Solka, coming of age in German occupied Silesia, 1939-1940. Germans in Silesia is nothing new. The Germans have been in Silesia since at least 1210, when they were invited to colonize the swampy land (slightly longer than the English colonists in Massachusetts). The young boy speaks German and Polish, as he was taught by his mother. The older brother, Pawel, however, was of an age between the two World Wars, that he refused to learn German.

Gracian, at 15 years old, likes to sneak out in the middle of the night to gaze upon the stars. He has a special place, a clearing in the forest, but, of course, he risks being shot for violating curfew. His older brother, Pawel Solka, had given Gracian a book on astronomy, which Gracian employs to learn the names of all the constellations. To protect Gracian, Pawel has to nail the window shut, so that Gracian can no longer sneak out. As Gracian works in the coal mines (Silesia is famous for its coal), he learns the story of how Pawel was disgraced by having to serve a sentence in a German prison for smuggling, across the German/Poland border. Gracian begins to understand some of the roots of family conflicts and animosity. (Interestingly, since colonial days in Massachusetts, smuggling has never been disgraceful. Even in recent times, during Prohibition, an Irish-American became rich smuggling in whiskey; his son became President of the United States.)

Using his German speaking skills, Gracian helps Pawel to land a job in another, more distant coal mine. The owners, bosses and foremen are all Germans, Pawel now has job, too, and this pacifies their mother. Things appear to be settling down. Gracian expands his star-watching to people watching, using the telescope that was another gift from his brother, Pawel. Towards the end, Gracian believes that his star watching/people watching might have been responsible for the death of Pawel's girl-friend, Anna. Finally, at the end, Gracian puts away his book and telescope, as with St. Paul: "...when I became a man, I put away childish things". (I Corinthians, 13:7). Jay Basu shows excellent insight into growing up.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, quite moving, July 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Stars Can Wait: A Novel (Hardcover)

Jay Basu keeps you mesmerized in this sad but touching story. This is Basu's first novel, and what a splendid job he's done. The story had a few twists, and it was hard to put down. Gracian is a memorable protagonist. He escapes his harsh world of working in a coal mine by wandering out into the woods at night to watch the stars, despite the constant presence of Nazi guards who could kill him. He and the other characters, including his coal mine partner, offer tremendous inspiriation to keep dreaming when life is cruel and seemingly hopeless.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A small masterpiece, October 10, 2010

By 

Ralph Blumenau (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Stars Can Wait: A Novel (Paperback)

This is a small masterpiece, just 146 pages long. It is set near Katowice, just inside German-occupied Poland, in 1940 and 1941. The central figure is fifteen-year old Gracian Sofka. By day he works in the darkness of a German-run coal mine; but what gives meaning to his life is the sight of the starry heavens at night. His enchantment is enhanced when he is given a telescope, through which he discovers new dimensions and meanings not only in the heavens but on earth when he turns the instrument upon it. The meanings, however, though initially inspiring, will turn out to be far from comforting.

There is a close and touching relationship between Gracian and his largely taciturn and somewhat enigmatic brother Pawel, twelve years his senior. There are some mysteries about Pawel's past life, which will be revealed in due course; but they have little bearing on the tragic climax of the book at the end. A tragic end is hinted at early in the book. When it comes, it is not what the reader expects, but it is as perfectly crafted as is the rest of the book.

The language is simple, but poetic; and the descriptions and images are memorable.