Review
Review
I took a copy of Starlight, Starbright… with me on vacation to Las Vegas for a poolside read and nearly burned myself to a crisp! Now I understand why another avid reader stayed awake all night to finish reading Sissy’s story. The author must have a very romantic love interest in her life. When she described Miss Kate’s kiss, I felt it all the way to my toes! Barbara Elliott Carpenter has succeeded in sprinkling this book with so many small treasures….moments of utter bliss to ponder later, and enjoy all over again!
~ JILL MISCINSKI CHICAGO
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After I read Starlight, Starbright…,I began to wonder if I had read a book or if I had actually been witness to the events in the stories, especially the chapter, “Rebecca.” The characters are so real, and the descriptions are so vivid, it was as if I knew the people and had seen the town…. I can hardly wait for the sequel….
~ MARILYN DAVIS ILLINOIS
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I have just read my new favorite book, Starlight, Starbright…. I absolutely absorbed it! With outstanding scenery description and intriguing characters, it is a MUST READ! I am recommending it to everyone I know. I can’t wait for the sequel. Barbara Elliott Carpenter’s book will whisk you back to a familiar, complicated time in a young girl’s life. You can’t help but fall in love with Sissy and her family. Finally, without grossly exaggerated details of life’s hardships, here is a completely believable story, from beginning to end. I think it rates right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. A true gem!
~ JENNIFER CAPE ILLINOIS
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Starlight, Starbright… took me back to my childhood. The characters in the book are as vivid as if seeing them upon the silver screen. Seldom have I caught myself laughing out loud while reading a book, as I did as I read this one. I was reading so quickly to see what was coming next that I literally had to force myself to slow down! Besides falling in love with Sissy, her family, and other characters in the story, the book brought back memories of my childhood that I thought were gone forever. This story reflects a time when it was safe for children to ride their bikes and play outside, of stay-at-home mothers, home-cooked meals, and neighbors looking out for each other. I so look forward to Barbara Elliott Carpenter’s sequel to Starlight………no doubt it will be another delightful MUST READ!
~KATHLEENE S. BAKER TEXAS
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I actually found myself between tears and laughing out loud while reading Barbara Elliott Carpenter’s book, Starlight, Starbright… The characters in the story seem to resonate with a life force of their own, and they live in the reader’s imagination and heart after the last page is finished. Reading this book felt as good as a journey back to Little House on the Prairie and Stand By Me. No one should miss reading Starlight, Starbright…! I’m looking forward to the sequel.
~ GINGER BODA CALIFORNIA
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Barbara Elliott Carpenter, author of Starlight, Starbright…, has written a magnificent novel, mixing her warm love for humanity with great story-telling power, giving readers a close, in-depth look into young Sissy Bannister’s life. The characters leap from the pages, weaving a magic that captures the essence of mid-America during the Forties.
~BOBBY SMITH ARKANSAS
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I have bought the book and I loved it. Maybe part of it had to do with the fact that Barbara Elliot and I came from the same general area of Southeast Missouri. But I just really enjoyed reading it. I liked the romance of it and the suspense in some parts of it. My favorite books have always been romance and suspense stories. I have always loved murder mysteries. Agatha Christie was one of my most favorite authors as well as the author whose name I can't remember at the moment, who wrote Perry Mason, Ironsides and other stories I used to love to watch on television.
It is very wholesome and a good book to curl up with on a rainy day or any day.
Barbara Carpenter Elliot is a good friend who I have grown to love since reading her book.
Congratulations, Barb. You're the best.
Nell
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The book brought back some memories of when you lived in Arcola and the way of life we had back then. That was a long time ago, but it was fun to relive some of it.
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I've known Barbara for several years and have always enjoyed our conversations. When Starlight, Starbright came out I looked forward to reading it, I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy it. From the moment I started reading I felt as if I was part of the story somehow. I could not put it down. It touched my heart, I cried and I laughed out loud. I am looking forward to reading the next book!
Tracie Downey
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Starlight, Starbright was an intriguing story about a girl and her family from the 1930's-1940's. The story was very fasinating, so much so, that I had a hard time putting the book down. I am looking forward to receiving and begin reading I Wish I May, I Wish I Might... I highly recommend Starlight, Starbright for a great down-to-earth story.
Pam (Manistee, MI)
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Barbara Elliot Carpenter's writing is a joy to read, and I throughly enjoyed reading "Wish I May, Wish I Might." Barbara is an excellent storyteller, and she weaves mountain-Ozark stories with her own life experiences and considerable imagination into a highly readable work of fiction. Her empathy with characters and the ability to convey their feelings and reactions gives her work great appeal. The word pictures and descriptions add beauty to her book, and the reader feels that her love of setting and landscape comes from the heart.
She has a knack for knowing what to include, what to leave out, and what to summarize briefly with keen insight into the importance and meaning of the material for her characters. She touches on themes and recalls significant characters from Sissy's past just enough to give continuity to the series of books.
Perhaps best of all, the characters, settings, situations and the point-of-view (first person) give a sense of immediacy so that most readers can easily identify with the story...almost as if it could have happened to them! It is a book that transforms common American experience into art-form.
Mary-Ellen Grisham
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Barbara,
I read Starlight,Starbright with great eagerness as I knew it contained some real life stories about our family with names changed. I did infact recognize the real family members. I enjoyed the book and think you're truly a great writer. Glad to be your cousin.
Love, Ruth
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Barbara,
I read Starlight,Starbright with great eagerness as I knew it contained some real life stories about our family with names changed. I did infact recognize the real family members. I enjoyed the book and think you're truly a great writer. Glad to be your cousin.
Love, Ruth
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Spent my Jr. Hi and Sr. Hi years in same town as the author but sadly didn't know her then...this is a terrific read and I am looking forward to reading the next one! So many great characters and she makes you feel as if you already know them.
Enjoy.
Review
I have been thinking about why I can't seem to write a testimony for
Starlight or now Wish...... The current thinking is that the stories are so
close to me, and the circle of 1st grade friends touched again, and the
experiences are so "right" that I just can't find the words. In Wish --
especially Sissy's mom and dad -- described expressions, philosophies,
looks, humor, and the work ethic so closely that it brought tears and
smiles. As to the stirring of passions,
well................................... happily mine didn't have the
results that Sissy's did. Jerry's letters (I assume they were not altered
much) were wonderful --- even if they were altered. Life long friends are
such a special treasure -- they love you regardless!!!
You are a wonderful story teller, my friend. Thank you for reminding me of
our beginnings - and our learning - and how it was then ---- and compared
to now, we were truly blessed to have grown up at a gentler time.
Becky Simon
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