“…lovin’ something or someone is you allowing it or them to lead ya back to who you really are.” (p.

I think on accounta they know how to love outright and us we gotta learn how to do that.” (p.

“But I think a person could do worse than having a streak of wild runnin’ alongside strength and love.” (p.

“…the farmers eased away like mist across a pasture…” (p.

I look forward to reading Wagamese’s other books, especially Medicine Walk which is technically a prequel to this book.

I also loved that they included a couple of pieces of his other writing that inspired Starlight so that the book would end in his words and not someone else’s. Outlining his plan without trying to mimic his writing style was a very thoughtful and respectful way of wrapping up the story. I’m glad that the editors of the book were able to piece together how Wagamese had intended to end this novel, but refrained from writing an actual ending. Frank and Eugene give Emmy and Winnie a home and security, a way to love and trust again, and in return the gaps in their own lives are filled by the mother and daughter. I really like how the healing between Emmy, Frank, Eugene, and Winnie is all mutual.

Emmy finds peace and a way to heal her soul when she moves in with Frank and Eugene, whereas Jeff’s thirst for revenge only makes him angrier and more violent as time wears on. The juxtaposition between Emmy’s journey and Jeff’s is striking. There’s some really beautiful themes around healing in Starlight. It develops at a natural pace and is so tender. The scenes of Frank teaching Emmy to walk quietly are some of the most compelling writing in the book.įrank and Emmy’s relationship is so sweet. Though many pages are devoted to describing stillness, it’s not boring. The descriptions in Starlight are wondrous. The plots are not overly complicated and the focus is more on the characters and the atmosphere of the story. They both take simple premises and make them absolutely beautiful. Wagamese’s writing reminds me a bit of Benjamin Alire Sàenz’s writing. This is the first Richard Wagamese book I’ve ever read and oh boy have I been missing out. Calgary’s not particularly small, but so many of the stories that I read take place in the United States that it’s a rare occurrence to read about places I’ve lived. I get unreasonably excited whenever my hometown of Calgary is mentioned in a book. This was a super fun readathon and I can’t wait for the N.E.W.T.s in August! Funnily enough, I took this picture with my phone It fulfills the Divination criteria (“star” in the title). This is the final book I read for the Magical Readathon.

Starlight by Richard Wagamese