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Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns: Stories
 
 
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Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns: Stories [Hardcover]

J. California Cooper (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)


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Book Description

April 4, 2006
In stories that are simple yet elegant, hard-hitting yet poignant, J. California Cooper writes about the search for fulfillment that propels people’s dreams and desires. In “As Time Goes By” a young woman named Futila Ways grows up focusing her dream of a better future on material wealth, only to discover that having everything she ever wanted cannot compensate for the emptiness in her heart. “The Eye of the Beholder” recounts the story of an unattractive young girl, Lily Bea, whose search for love leads her to embrace her own brand of freedom. And in “Catch a Falling Heart” a woman mildly crippled in a fall endures loneliness and solitude until she finds a man and provides a resting place for his love. Each story beautifully conveys the profound human need to seek some sort of satisfaction, just as a wild star seeks a midnight sun.

J. California Cooper’s insights into the hearts and souls of ordinary people and her irresistible storytelling voice have endeared her to fans and critics. As Ms. magazine wrote, “Cooper’s stories beckon. It is as if she is patting the seat next to us, enticing us to come sit and listen.”

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An acclaimed novelist (Some People, Some Other Place), playwright (Strangers) and short story writer (Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime), Cooper checks in with a collection of stories that shine a spotlight on the lives of invisible women. Her characters are confined, whether by poverty and degradation, or by narcissism and the trappings of success, and they long for satisfaction and deliverance. In "In the Eye of the Beholder," Lily Bea, an ugly duckling, grows up into a graceful woman with an innate love of beauty that may not do her much good, while Harriet, a damaged hotel proprietress in "Catch a Falling Heart," struggles toward a better life using whatever or whoever is at hand. Fulfillment, when it happens, comes in the trappings of a good man or a home of their own and the economic freedom it signifies. Alcoholism, AIDS, licentiousness and loneliness contend with education, a trust in God and other simple remedies that are difficult to apply. Cooper's narrators are storytellers who watch from the margins of life, who might be seen at first as meddlers, but become recognizable as a small army of empathic souls, who struggle toward self-awareness, honest observation and forging connections (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Cooper's talent for capturing the lives of ordinary people penetrates this collection of short stories. These are simple stories about personal struggles in settings from small towns to urban centers. An awkward young woman, pushed into a loveless marriage by her mother, eventually finds her own way professionally and emotionally. Two successful urban professionals cross paths in a nightclub, and neither is satisfied when the evening ends as so many have--in disappointment. A 14-year-old in love with her best friend's much older brother observes the sexual tensions he stirs in others. Many of the stories are told from the perspective of a narrator, close but far away enough for sharp discernment. Cooper fans will enjoy this collection, and those who are new to her work will appreciate her character development and artful storytelling. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 209 pages
  • Publisher: Doubleday; 1ST edition (April 4, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385511337
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385511339
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #701,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J. California Cooper was honored as Black Playwright of the Year, and has received the American Book Award, the James Baldwin Writing Award, and the Literary Lion Award from the American Library Association. She lives in California.

 

Customer Reviews

23 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (7)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wisdom for the Soul, April 6, 2006
By 
T. Rhythm Knight (Coral Springs, FL United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns: Stories (Hardcover)
Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns by J. California Cooper is a series of short stories. In Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns, Cooper weaves ten tales, wrapped in wisdom, offering the reader food for thought. From the caterpillar that turns into a butterfly, to the woman that thinks she's a butterfly only to find out good looks does not necessarily guarantee a life without loneliness, Cooper delivers.

As I read each story I savored each page. I was reminded of times when I used to sit on my grandmother's porch listening to aunts and uncles tell tales of wisdom and adventures long gone. I have always been a Cooper fan and have anxiously awaited this novel. True to form, Cooper did not disappoint.

If you enjoy short stories offering a little bit of insight to life's dilemmas, Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns will not disappoint.

T. RHYTHM KNIGHT
APOOO BookClub


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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars 21st Century Parables, June 2, 2006
By 
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns: Stories (Hardcover)
WILD STARS SEEKING MIDNIGHT SUNS is a collection of short stories by J. California Cooper. The stories are diverse, but each feature female main characters and highlight issues they encounter in everyday life. In "As Time Goes By" two very different sisters, Futila and Willa Ways, are introduced. Futilla's big goal in life is to find a good man and marry well; she isn't interested in education or bettering herself. Her sister Willa on the other hand is hardworking and aspires to attend college no matter what it takes. As the story develops we see how the two sisters change over time and how their lives evolve. Along the way, the author demonstrates lessons on perserverance, and the true meaning of happiness. "The Eye of the Beholder" tells the story of Lily Bea Kneeds, the youngest and least attractive daughter in a large family. Lily Bea grows up being constantly reminded that she is "less than" her siblings, and she carries the emotional scars from that well into adulthood. Cooper uses this character to teach important lessons about self-respect and love. In "Oysters and Pearls" Latesha is a woman who figures she can use her sexuality to get whatever she wants in life, but does she want the right things? Eventually it becomes clear that Latesha will get a lot more than she bargained for. There are too many other stories to list in detail, but they cover a wide variety of topics including sexually transmitted diseases, alcoholism, religion, and politics, but most importantly they all address personal growth.

J. California Cooper has established a legacy for herself as a literary force who has a reputation for creating timeless stories that carry powerful messages. WILD STARS SEEKING MIDNIGHT SUNS is another fine example of this legacy. Each of the stories in this collection have a poignant simplicity that lingers with you while addressing social issues and such themes as womanhood, self-respect, love, freedom, and the meaning of life. Cooper's use of symbolism and metaphor showcase not only her wit and humor, but also her mastery of the writing craft; attentive readers will soon realize that even the names of some of the characters are important. WILD STARS SEEKING MIDNIGHT SUNS is a book that can be analyzed, debated, and even explicated, but at the end of the day, it is the down-home conversational style that stays with you.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Food for thought!!, June 26, 2006
By 
M. L. McLeod "MLM" (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns: Stories (Hardcover)
I am a huge fan of Ms. Cooper and have read all of her books. This one I found unique because she gets into the stories and does not always draw a straight conclusion for you. I found that it left you with food for thought, deep penetrating thought. My experience from reading her books is she lays out the story line and you form relationship with the characters. This book does not allow to much time for that. Sometimes everything can't be laid out for us and we have to sit back and ponder on life, choices and the future. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy going beneath the surface and looking within yourself for some answers about life and maybe questioning some choices you made. Some of the reviews have stated where is the rest? I believe the rest is up to you.
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