A Fistful of Sky and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
X
More Buying Choices
64 used & new from $0.16
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
A Fistful Of Sky
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading A Fistful of Sky on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

A Fistful Of Sky (Paperback)

~ Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Author) "IN my family, we used the word we all the time..." (more)
Key Phrases: curse energy, unkind power, curse journal, Uncle Tobias, Aunt Hermina, Ultimate Fashion Sense (more...)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
Price: $7.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
  Special Offers Available
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 4 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Friday, November 13? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
30 new from $1.99 33 used from $0.16 1 collectible from $10.00

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition $6.39 -- --
  Hardcover -- $4.99 $0.26
  Paperback $7.99 $1.99 $0.16

Frequently Bought Together

A Fistful Of Sky + A Stir of Bones + Spirits That Walk in Shadow
Price For All Three: $23.97

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: A Fistful Of Sky by Nina Kirki Hoffman

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • A Stir of Bones by Nina Kirki Hoffman

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Spirits That Walk in Shadow by Nina Kirki Hoffman

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • This item is eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. Eligible products include select Books, Single Copy Magazines, and Home & Garden items. Buy any 4 eligible items and get the lowest-priced item free. Here's how (restrictions apply)
  • Sci-Fi Sale Extravaganza: Over 600 Sci-Fi movies & TV shows are now on sale as part of our Sci-Fi Sale Extravaganza. Sale ends November 23. Shop now.

  • Over a hundred thousand items are eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. How do I find more eligible items?

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Spirits That Walk in Shadow

Spirits That Walk in Shadow

by Nina Kirki Hoffman
4.4 out of 5 stars (8)  $8.99
Fall of Light

Fall of Light

by Nina Kirki Hoffman
4.2 out of 5 stars (5)  $9.98
The Silent Strength of Stones (A Chapel Hollow Novel)

The Silent Strength of Stones (A Chapel Hollow Novel)

by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
4.5 out of 5 stars (17) 
A Red Heart of Memories

A Red Heart of Memories

by Nina Kirki Hoffman
4.2 out of 5 stars (22)  $14.96
Past the Size of Dreaming

Past the Size of Dreaming

by Nina Kirki Hoffman
5.0 out of 5 stars (4)  $23.00
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The LaZelle family of southern California has a secret: they can do magic. Real magic. As a teenager, a LaZelle undergoes "the Transition"--a severe illness that will either kill him or leave him with magical powers. If he's lucky, he gains a talent like shape-changing or wish-granting. If he's unlucky, he never experiences Transition. If he's especially unlucky, he undergoes Transition late, which increases his chances of dying. And if he survives, he will bear the burden of a dark, dangerous magic: the ability to cast only curses. And curse he must, for when a LaZelle doesn't use his magic, it kills him.

In Nina Kiriki Hoffman's A Fistful of Sky, Gypsum LaZelle is unique among her brothers and sisters: she has not undergone Transition. She resigns herself to a mundane, magic-bereft existence as a college student. Then one weekend, when her family leaves her home alone, she becomes gravely ill... --Cynthia Ward --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.



From Publishers Weekly

Stoker winner Hoffman attains a new level of maturity and complexity with this coming-of-age contemporary fantasy. Unlike her charismatic, beautiful mother and her four remarkable siblings, Gypsum, the middle daughter of the magical LaZelle family of Southern California, is a misfit who hasn't "transitioned" during adolescence into her special gifts and powers. Instead, she takes after her perfectly normal father. Intelligent, resourceful and caring, Gyp deals with her lack of magic by growing into a self-effacing, low-profile but still greatly beloved member of the family. Then suddenly at age 20, Gyp attains her gift, the "unkind" power of curses. Gyp's struggles to deal with her newfound dark power are emotional, frightening and hilarious. By the story's end we've had to confront, just as the LaZelles do, that even members of the most wonderful, loving, close-knit families in the world can innocently inflict considerable damage on each other. While making the story both humorous and enlightening, Hoffman never allows the reader to forget this is also a scary situation for her group of exceptionally well-developed characters. The lyrical writing flows at a perfect pace and is as engaging as the characters. With its themes of family, magic, love and healing, the novel may appeal more to women and adolescents than men, while its ending may be a bit too touchy-feely New Age for some. But the sense of wonder, lack of cynicism and sheer craft compare to vintage Ray Bradbury.awards.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Ace (May 25, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0441011772
  • ISBN-13: 978-0441011773
  • Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #546,099 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #10 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Hoffman, Nina Kiriki

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Nina Kirki Hoffman
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Nina Kirki Hoffman Page
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
IN my family, we used the word we all the time. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
curse energy, unkind power, curse journal, beauty brush, cursing things, curse power, curse child, protection stone, curse thing, curse something
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Uncle Tobias, Aunt Hermina, Ultimate Fashion Sense, Aunt Meta, Santa Tekla, Learning Center, Old Coast Highway, Christmas Break, Aunt Hermes, Speare Beach, Christmas Day, Nina Kiri Ei Hoffman
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 9 books:
See all 9 books this book cites
 
8 books cite this book:
See all 8 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Fistful Of Sky
75% buy the item featured on this page:
A Fistful Of Sky 4.2 out of 5 stars (46)
$7.99
Fall of Light
11% buy
Fall of Light 4.2 out of 5 stars (5)
$9.98
Spirits That Walk in Shadow
6% buy
Spirits That Walk in Shadow 4.4 out of 5 stars (8)
$8.99
A Stir of Bones
5% buy
A Stir of Bones 4.3 out of 5 stars (7)
$6.99
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(3)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 6 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

46 Reviews
5 star:
 (27)
4 star:
 (10)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (46 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't Put it Down!, January 29, 2005
This review is from: A Fistful of Sky (A LaZelle Family Novel) (Hardcover)
This is one of the most imaginative books I have come across in a long time, and I had trouble putting it down! It's one of those gems that engross you, and you will think of it long after you've finished it.

Gypsum LaZelle, the middle child in a family of talented witches, has resigned herself to being normal. Having not undergone transition, she never acquired the powers that her siblings and mother have. So she was surprised, to say the least, when at twenty years old, she underwent her own transition and gained her own power. Her surprise was greater still when, instead of having a positive power like the rest of her family, she had a negative power-the power of curses.

Waking up each morning with power literally spilling out of her, Gypsum HAD to utilize her curses, but more often than not, things went awry. With a perfectionist mother, every failure was blown out of proportion and criticized. Luckily, with the love and support of the rest of her family, Gyp starts to learn how she can use her power for good rather than evil.

Sometimes dangerous, sometimes funny, and always entertaining, Gyp's magical attempts will fascinate the reader. What's great about the main character is that she's not perfect: overweight, naive and a bit squeamish, she is a wholly lovable, believable character. Hoffman did a marvelous job crafting Gyp's emotions, and the characters are extremely endearing. If this is any indication of the writer's talents, I'm going to go out and buy all her works.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars You don't always get what you want, February 25, 2006
By SoniaK (Dracut, MA USA) - See all my reviews
And sometimes, when you do, it turns out you may not want it after all. At least that's what Gypsum LaZelle discovers when, after having convinced herself she'd never receive her magical powers like the rest of her family did, she actually does receive them, only they're not exactly what she expected.

This is the story of Gypsum LaZelle, the "black sheep" of her magical family. Unlike the rest of the LaZelle's, Gypsum didn't go through her transition to receive her powers. She's accepted her fate as a non-magical member of her family and of society, even if it means that she won't quite measure up to the rest of her siblings, especially in her very magical mother's eyes. It isn't until she becomes sick, and something suddenly changes in her, that Gypsum realizes she may not be all that different. But then again...maybe she is.

This is a wonderful coming of age story about a young girl struggling with her identity. Take away the magic portion of the story, and it would still be a great story about finding your place, fitting in, being comfortable with who you trully are, whether or not it is who you always expected to be. Throw the magic element back into it, and it is a colorful, vivid, creative and imaginative tale. Hoffman does a wonderful job creating characters that are both realistic and full of fantasy. They are people the reader can identify with, and yet be mesmerized by.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to reading more by the author.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, but not the best...., November 9, 2004
This review is from: A Fistful of Sky (A LaZelle Family Novel) (Hardcover)
In this quirky coming of age tale, late bloomer Gypsum LaZelle is the last of her brothers and sisters to gain her magical powers. Unfortunately, the power she gains is an 'unkind power' in the family parlance. She is 'gifted' with the power to curse and apparently is quite strong in this gift.

It's instructional to see how Gypsum learns to take a negative and turn it into a positive. She develops teamwork skills by filtering her powers through another sib Flint, who seems to get his magic wrong more often than not and ends up giving them both a self-confidence boost. In a Jungian twist, she also reconciles herself with her Shadow by working with 'curse child' Altria to find a way to deal with the power she has in a controlled manner. By trusting the Shadow, she is also trusting herself and the two can form a mutualiztic bond.

The book is very well done, but it loses its mark as an adult novel and in my opinion may be too high level for a young adult. Still, I would seek out Hoffman's other work and give it a try.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful
I had read a short story with these characters, and went looking for the book. It's even better than I expected!
Published 5 months ago by Jacqueline Haney Kidwell

4.0 out of 5 stars Charming story
This is a charming story by a very imaginative author. While the story line is fantastic, the characters are very real. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Demi

3.0 out of 5 stars Just Ok, not really great
I was expecting a lot more when I read the description. This book had so much potential and some really original ideas. Instead, it's a story about teen/20something angst. Read more
Published 7 months ago by K. Rossiter

3.0 out of 5 stars A little too angsty for an adult novel
A Fistful of Sky is the story of Gypsum LaZelle, who comes from a magical family. Each child goes through transition in their early teens and receives the ability to do magic... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ruth

4.0 out of 5 stars Very imaginative
Gypsum LaZelle is a misfit in her family. All of her siblings have come into their magical powers, inherited from their beautiful mother, and she has resigned herself to the fact... Read more
Published 16 months ago by DogsDeserveCompassion

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Great
I loved this book, my mom found it at value village and it took me a while to actually pick it up but once i did i coundlt put it back down, so amazingly imagitive and beautiful... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Luna Zombie

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting
i flew through this book, it took me literally an evening to read through it. i thought it was very fun and engaging and was sucessful at bringing magic into a modern setting... Read more
Published 18 months ago by greatedcorn

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Wonderful, Fantastic
You really don't want to put the book down to eat.

The author makes magic real and the story and characters are delightful. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Carol

5.0 out of 5 stars Staying In The Family

Gypsum LaZelle's whole family has magical talents, manifesting around puberty. She's patient when her older siblings turn, but then her younger siblings turn as well, and... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Penelope Spicer

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and creative
An outstanding children's novel about a non-magical girl growing up in a magical family. Her siblings' magical powers are very creative and the best part of the book, in my... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Deshanya

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:








i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.