Shy Girl

It's hard to beileve this is her first novel! I couldn't put it down. The story is engaging and the prose is sensual. Stark connects themes in a brilliant way, inviting readers of all backgrounds to appreciate the vital messages of this novel. A must read!

Shy Girl is important, deep and wonderfully readable. I recommend it to all my friends. Once begun, I know no one who has been able to put it down until they finish.

Stark's first novel is an astonishing story of the power of secrets and things left unsaid. Sasha ("Shy") left abruptly years ago, and Alta still hasn't gotten over her. When Shy's mother has a stroke, Shy is forced to come back. The out lesbian Alta and the pregnant Shy struggle to reconnect and together they face the things they left unsaid between them, as well as the secrets harbored in Shy's family. After Shy's mother dies, Shy discovers her true heritage and finds herself finally understanding her mother. By being witness to this, Alta connects to aspects of herself and her relationships (lovers, her mother, her friends). The story is beautifully rendered, and reminded me of Allison Green's "Half-moon Scar" and Aryeh Lev Stollman's "The Far Euphrates". A potent and moving story of surviving the past, and the cost of this to our present and future lives.

What an incredible novel! Stark expresses her ideas so eloquently, and the story is fabulous. I don't want to give away anything. So, I'll just reiterate--don't miss this one!

Elizabeth Stark's novel is a fast read that is compelling and beautifully written. Hang onto the mystery -- and see how much we are alike -- and how our differences still are more accentuated and divisive than honored! The context of this novel is a MUST for the message. The author pulls the reader in -- and holds on! If you can't read this -- ask yourself why not and then finish it for the answer! Most of all, don't read the reviews (like the ones printed above!) that give the mystery away. You'll love it anyway, but will miss the ironic twist that Stark so eloquently delivers.