The Lost Entwife Book Review of Whistling Past the Graveyard

“The cover of Whistling Past the Graveyard is what made me want to pick this book up, but it was the voice of young Starla that made me loathe to put it down. Susan Crandall has captured 9 year old Starla so perfectly well that if it were possible for a beautiful piece of artwork to be captured by visual words, then Starla would be that portrait.

I have to admit, when I read the description of Whistling Past the Graveyard, my first thought went to those other popular southern novels: The Secret Life of Bees, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, and even a touch of To Kill a Mockingbird came to mind. Now, that’s not a bad thing to be reminded of those books because I did enjoy them when I read them (and afterward) but I was a little hesitant because, as much as I loved the opening of Whistling Past the Graveyard, I was worried that I would be reading the same story re-told with a new, lively protagonist. Then, after laughing at Starla’s description of the neighboring kids, I simply didn’t care if that happened because I was laughing too hard.

Carries a message with such beautiful, poignant humor that I think it will strike a chord in every reader…

Crandall must have been a 9 year old girl very recently because Starla thinks and acts exactly like my 9 year old self did. She has forts, thinks of ways she will die because of how she is being “mis-treated,” longs for the fun of the State Fair, and most of all, she wants to be reunited with her mother. Enter Eula.

There is a touch of suspense in this book, simply because the story becomes so complicated with the entrance of Eula, I didn’t know how Crandall would manage to resolve it in a way that left me satisfied. But, as I read and was reminded of things such as the Jim Crow laws, Martin Luther King, Jr’s march, and the struggles of the civil rights movement in the South during this time, I noticed that pieces were falling into place quite nicely. So, I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Starla has a quote in the book that basically says that she was always told that it’s best to whistle and make noise if you are scared when walking past the graveyard. It reminded me of a moment in the movie, We Bought a Zoo, when the teenage boy is told he simply needs 20 seconds of courage to do something he wants to do. 20 seconds of courage, whistling past the graveyard – both excellent thoughts that remind me that life is so worth living and being afraid always will take the back seat to speaking out, making as much noise as possible when necessary to make your voice heard, and most importantly, grabbing life and living it to its full extent.

I loved this book. I think it would make a great book club book, a fantastic summer or winter read, and it carries a message with such beautiful, poignant humor that I think it will strike a chord in every reader that also falls for it’s beautiful cover.”