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Shake Down the Stars
When you’re in trouble, and sinking fast, who do you call?
Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?
When Piper’s ex-husband announces his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one step, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most…and show her how to live and laugh again.
"Shake Down the Stars is a treat. Renee Swindle’s writing is funny, sharp, heartbreaking, and quirky, and her non-stock characters wonderfully memorable…Enjoy the ride.”— Lalita Tademy, New York Times bestselling author of Can River and Red River
“Renee Swindle’s Shake Down the Stars is a rich, savvy exploration of the many kinds of love, loss, and dysfunction that can unearth us or save us, bedevil us or deliver us… as complex and hilarious as it is surprising and lovely. Shake Down the Stars holds a mirror up to our best and worst selves and Swindle writes with unflagging compassion and irresistible humor.”— ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere
“I love, love, love Renee Swindle’s Shake Down the Stars! It’s fresh and unfamiliar— which is quite the trick these days! I love the protagonist and the very unlikely yet charming love interest. The novel manages to be both light and heavy all at the same time. I cannot tell you how much I like it. Well, I can… I LOVED IT. Seriously. One of my favorite reads of the past couple years.”— Nichelle Tramble Spellman, author of The Dying Ground and The Last King
“You are about to get a big treat… Renee Swindle’s novel Shake Down the Stars is funny, bitter as coffee, sweet as sugar and as moving as an earthquake. Enjoy!”— Farai Chedya, author of Kiss the Sky
“I love this story of a woman trying to pull herself together after a tragic incident. Renee Swindle is a great writer and storyteller. Her characters are smart and witty and will stay with readers long after the novel ends. I hope you love Shake Down the Stars as much as I do!”— Jackllyn Luckett, author of Searching for Tina Turner and Passing Love
“Renee Swindle’s novel Shake Down the Stars has lyrical, poignant prose that promises to resonate with readers. The characters are emotionally and culturally charged, and their lives remind me of my own. While reading, I was transported inside an unbelievable world of crazy, wonderful folks.”— Deborah Santana, author of Space Between the Stars
Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?
When Piper’s ex-husband announces his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one step, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most…and show her how to live and laugh again.
"Shake Down the Stars is a treat. Renee Swindle’s writing is funny, sharp, heartbreaking, and quirky, and her non-stock characters wonderfully memorable…Enjoy the ride.”— Lalita Tademy, New York Times bestselling author of Can River and Red River
“Renee Swindle’s Shake Down the Stars is a rich, savvy exploration of the many kinds of love, loss, and dysfunction that can unearth us or save us, bedevil us or deliver us… as complex and hilarious as it is surprising and lovely. Shake Down the Stars holds a mirror up to our best and worst selves and Swindle writes with unflagging compassion and irresistible humor.”— ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere
“I love, love, love Renee Swindle’s Shake Down the Stars! It’s fresh and unfamiliar— which is quite the trick these days! I love the protagonist and the very unlikely yet charming love interest. The novel manages to be both light and heavy all at the same time. I cannot tell you how much I like it. Well, I can… I LOVED IT. Seriously. One of my favorite reads of the past couple years.”— Nichelle Tramble Spellman, author of The Dying Ground and The Last King
“You are about to get a big treat… Renee Swindle’s novel Shake Down the Stars is funny, bitter as coffee, sweet as sugar and as moving as an earthquake. Enjoy!”— Farai Chedya, author of Kiss the Sky
“I love this story of a woman trying to pull herself together after a tragic incident. Renee Swindle is a great writer and storyteller. Her characters are smart and witty and will stay with readers long after the novel ends. I hope you love Shake Down the Stars as much as I do!”— Jackllyn Luckett, author of Searching for Tina Turner and Passing Love
“Renee Swindle’s novel Shake Down the Stars has lyrical, poignant prose that promises to resonate with readers. The characters are emotionally and culturally charged, and their lives remind me of my own. While reading, I was transported inside an unbelievable world of crazy, wonderful folks.”— Deborah Santana, author of Space Between the Stars
- GenresFictionContemporary
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2013
13 people are currently reading
1048 people want to read
About the author
Renee Swindle
7 books132 followersRenee Swindle is the author of Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn, A Pinch Of Ooh La La, Shake Down The Stars, and Please Please Please.
Instagram: reneewritesnovels
Facebook: www.facebook.com/reneeswindlebooks
Pre-order Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn: https://bit.ly/FrancinesCrashandBurn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
February 13, 2016
Very funny, extremely entertaining. I love that Swindle showcased Oakland's economic and cultural diversity. This would make a great book club pick because it embraces very serious themes (grief, alcoholism, growing pains, religion), but will also make you laugh out loud and is written in a style that makes it hard for the reader to turn away (finished this one in under 48 hours). I'd love to see this hit the big screen as a rom-com.
Can't wait to read more from Renee Swindle.
Can't wait to read more from Renee Swindle.
March 9, 2020
Some tough topics addressed here.
August 6, 2013
I received a copy of Shake Down the Stars by Renee Swindle in exchange for an honest review.
Whew, this book is quite the read! When I first started reading I didn’t realize how deep and intense Piper’s journey would be. Losing her daughter in a car accident has clearly scarred her, her divorce from her husband took an emotional toll, and not being able to connect with her mother and sister really impacts her life. We see Piper turn to alcohol and men to fill the void, and the story only becomes more absorbing as it continues. It is easy to empathize with Piper, easy to see how she fell into such a self-destructive path, and it’s impossible not to cheer once she finally realizes how she has been destroying her life and works to make it better. The love interest is a great angle because he seems to be such an unlikely candidate (and unlikely love story really) and I thought that made the story even more fresh and relatable. One I highly recommend.
Whew, this book is quite the read! When I first started reading I didn’t realize how deep and intense Piper’s journey would be. Losing her daughter in a car accident has clearly scarred her, her divorce from her husband took an emotional toll, and not being able to connect with her mother and sister really impacts her life. We see Piper turn to alcohol and men to fill the void, and the story only becomes more absorbing as it continues. It is easy to empathize with Piper, easy to see how she fell into such a self-destructive path, and it’s impossible not to cheer once she finally realizes how she has been destroying her life and works to make it better. The love interest is a great angle because he seems to be such an unlikely candidate (and unlikely love story really) and I thought that made the story even more fresh and relatable. One I highly recommend.
August 7, 2013
After finishing Shake Down the Stars, Renee Swindle’s new novel featuring a troubled heroine named Piper who exorcises her demons by guzzling scotch out of the bottle and observing the cosmos through high powered telescopes, I felt well shaken and emotionally stirred. In spite of the novel’s opening scene—a reality TV worthy engagement party for Piper’s terminally self-absorbed stepsister—Shake Down the Stars is about as far from chick lit as Mercury is from Jupiter. Shake Down the Stars is light years away from your typical “bitter divorcee loses husband, nearly loses job before finding redemption though sobriety while surrounded by a madcap group of new friends and a new lover.”
In truth, Piper does start out as a bitter pill for the reader to swallow. I couldn’t help but flash back to Sandra Bullock’s pre-sobriety, likable train wreck of an alcoholic scenes in the movie 28 Days. Like a fiery meteor plummeting toward Earth, Piper is on a crash course; a ticking bomb set to go off on anyone (family, friends, lovers—past and present) who gets in her way. Piper wears her core wounds on her sleeve and trolls along in a wake of self-pity and anger. She’s terminally pissed off at her sanctimonious, imperious mother who favors her Real Housewives of San Francisco half-sister; she’s still sleeping with her ex-husband, engaging in alcohol-soaked, one-night stands; all the while blaming herself for her daughter’s death.
Sex in the City, this ain’t.
Swindle doesn’t handle Piper with kid gloves. She lets her heroine fall hard. Readers can’t help but squirm, and yes, judge, as Piper seduces a virginal church member in the parking lot of her stepfather’s mega church then refuses to feel guilt, shame or any other emotion appropriate to her actions. Anyone who has lived with an alcoholic family member will immediately recognize Piper’s narcissism and badly calibrated moral compass as the hallmarks of an addictive personality. Until she puts down the bottle and fesses up to her demons, Piper—and the novel—are stuck in idle.
Salvation comes to Piper, but not in conventional ways; no bolt of lightening strikes her down in her tracks. Instead, the realization that she has got to get her life together or else she will forever wobble in her orbit like a wayward comet is what ultimately gets Piper out of her pity party. Piper’s ambivalent relationship with 12-step groups—AA in particular—speaks honestly to a modern day culture that has a self-help group for seemingly every problem. Once sober, Piper must muddle her way through, learning to accept and perhaps even enjoy the messy, imperfect and infuriating thing we call daily life on planet Earth.
Throughout the novel, Piper constantly looks to the heavenly skies for solace. Her stargazing transports her from the rooftop of her low-rent apartment, away from the chaos of her terrestrial existence, into the realm of the celestial. It’s an apt metaphor that by book’s end, Piper’s worldview has broadened. Piper begrudgingly accepts that her relationship with her mother will be never be what either one of them wants, that the loss of her beloved daughter has created a permanent hole in her soul, and that love, like far off stars, can give us all hope.
Like an astronomer investigating new worlds, both outer and inner, Piper’s eyes are finally opened. “I see supernovas and dark matter and black holes,” Swindle writes. “I see molecular gas and far-off galaxies. I see it all.”
In truth, Piper does start out as a bitter pill for the reader to swallow. I couldn’t help but flash back to Sandra Bullock’s pre-sobriety, likable train wreck of an alcoholic scenes in the movie 28 Days. Like a fiery meteor plummeting toward Earth, Piper is on a crash course; a ticking bomb set to go off on anyone (family, friends, lovers—past and present) who gets in her way. Piper wears her core wounds on her sleeve and trolls along in a wake of self-pity and anger. She’s terminally pissed off at her sanctimonious, imperious mother who favors her Real Housewives of San Francisco half-sister; she’s still sleeping with her ex-husband, engaging in alcohol-soaked, one-night stands; all the while blaming herself for her daughter’s death.
Sex in the City, this ain’t.
Swindle doesn’t handle Piper with kid gloves. She lets her heroine fall hard. Readers can’t help but squirm, and yes, judge, as Piper seduces a virginal church member in the parking lot of her stepfather’s mega church then refuses to feel guilt, shame or any other emotion appropriate to her actions. Anyone who has lived with an alcoholic family member will immediately recognize Piper’s narcissism and badly calibrated moral compass as the hallmarks of an addictive personality. Until she puts down the bottle and fesses up to her demons, Piper—and the novel—are stuck in idle.
Salvation comes to Piper, but not in conventional ways; no bolt of lightening strikes her down in her tracks. Instead, the realization that she has got to get her life together or else she will forever wobble in her orbit like a wayward comet is what ultimately gets Piper out of her pity party. Piper’s ambivalent relationship with 12-step groups—AA in particular—speaks honestly to a modern day culture that has a self-help group for seemingly every problem. Once sober, Piper must muddle her way through, learning to accept and perhaps even enjoy the messy, imperfect and infuriating thing we call daily life on planet Earth.
Throughout the novel, Piper constantly looks to the heavenly skies for solace. Her stargazing transports her from the rooftop of her low-rent apartment, away from the chaos of her terrestrial existence, into the realm of the celestial. It’s an apt metaphor that by book’s end, Piper’s worldview has broadened. Piper begrudgingly accepts that her relationship with her mother will be never be what either one of them wants, that the loss of her beloved daughter has created a permanent hole in her soul, and that love, like far off stars, can give us all hope.
Like an astronomer investigating new worlds, both outer and inner, Piper’s eyes are finally opened. “I see supernovas and dark matter and black holes,” Swindle writes. “I see molecular gas and far-off galaxies. I see it all.”
April 7, 2013
I was so fortunate to receive an advance copy of SHAKE DOWN THE STARS by Renee Swindle. I won't synopsize the book (you need to read it for yourself), but this is a book that had me, literally, by the first page. And by page three, I knew I'd read it in one weekend. The characters are real and engaging. The settings are vivid. The problems are intense. The solutions are sometimes surprising, in that good "I wish I'd thought of that" kind of way. The writing is lovely, and reading it is effortless, which doesn't mean it's an easy read. The book paints truths with broad strokes and also pinpoints some very specific things that made me nod my head.
It's the kind of book I didn't want to end, but I was really satisfied with its conclusion. I'd like to meet some of those characters in real life.
It's the kind of book I didn't want to end, but I was really satisfied with its conclusion. I'd like to meet some of those characters in real life.
September 15, 2013
Extremely touching and funny. Loved it.
May 25, 2017
Easy read. She's an alcoholic with a dysfunctional family to match. A suspended ending but could lead to a follow-up book?
August 20, 2013
Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes.
Shake Down the Stars was a much heavier read than I anticipated, but I LOVED this novel because I love an emotional read. Piper is a real character. She’s flawed. Scratch that, she’s more than flawed; she has serious issues, including swigging scotch straight from the bottle and drowning herself not only in alcohol but one night stands. Her struggle to overcome her demons, particularly the grief and guilt she feels after daughter’s death, makes for an absorbing, intense, and heartfelt read.
The characterization in this book is marvelous, and I empathized with Piper, loathed her family, and had a love-hate relationship with her ex-husband. I rooted for Piper throughout this book. She’s stuck, and you can’t help but want her to sort herself out. There are some grim moments as Piper hits rock bottom, including a cringe-worthy encounter – no spoilers, but we’re talking slap your hand over your mouth, gasp out loud and groan that you can’t believe she did that kind of scene. I loved what it said about Piper and that it was so surprising. It’s a fabulous character-defining scene and shoved the story along.
I loved that the love interest was so unusual, and I never knew if anything would materialize. It is possible that I loathed Piper’s family more than I have any other character’s family in a novel. I hated them. Really. I kept waiting for the realization of how they were impacting her and Piper to realize how she was impacting them, and I must say that I enjoyed how things wrapped up. Yes, that was cryptic. Again, no spoilers!
Not only were the characters perfectly portrayed, but this story moves along at a quick clip. I never found my attention wandering like I do with other novels I’m much less interested in or am forcing myself to read. I was fully invested in both Piper and her story. I also enjoyed star-gazing escape and appreciated both learning something about the stars and that it was just the right balance and not an overabundance of information.
Even with the depth and emotion of this story, Shake Down the Stars isn’t all doom and gloom. Hope resonates within the pages, and I kept reading well past my bedtime to find out what would happen next. This fabulous novel made my Favourite Reads of 2013 (so far), and I will definitely be looking out for more from Swindle!
Thank you to NAL Trade for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
This one made my Favourite Reads (so far) of 2013!
September 7, 2016
Borderline alcoholic and promiscuous without discrimination, Piper Nelson’s troubles seem to be compounding by the day. Five years after losing her four year old daughter Hailey in a car accident she blames herself for, Piper’s life began an immediate downward spiral, beginning with the dissolving of her marriage. Although on good terms after both the death of their daughter and eventual divorce, Piper and her ex-husband Spencer maintain a grief-induced post marital arrangement that prevents either party from truly moving on, adding yet another layer of dysfunction to the world of our protagonist. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, Spencer suddenly begins dating a new woman and announces her pregnancy, sending Piper to new lows.
Author Renee Swindle skillfully intersperses the text with a palpable sense of grief coupled with witty humour to save the story from becoming too bogged down. The first comedic gem that I happened upon occurs at an engagement party for Piper’s younger sister Margot. Piper surveys the women in attendance and has this to say, “There’s enough weaves in the room that I image whole villages of Chinese and Indian girls running around newly bald.”
Thanks to its superbly developed protagonist and supporting cast, Shake Down the Stars avoids most of the “chick-lit” clichés and provides a much broader appeal through its intelligent exploration of mourning, addiction, family conflict and survival. I think it’s a safe bet that there will be a film adaptation around corner. I can already picture the long list of acting hopefuls vying for the the possibility of bringing Piper Nelson’s complex life to the big screen.
Author Renee Swindle skillfully intersperses the text with a palpable sense of grief coupled with witty humour to save the story from becoming too bogged down. The first comedic gem that I happened upon occurs at an engagement party for Piper’s younger sister Margot. Piper surveys the women in attendance and has this to say, “There’s enough weaves in the room that I image whole villages of Chinese and Indian girls running around newly bald.”
Thanks to its superbly developed protagonist and supporting cast, Shake Down the Stars avoids most of the “chick-lit” clichés and provides a much broader appeal through its intelligent exploration of mourning, addiction, family conflict and survival. I think it’s a safe bet that there will be a film adaptation around corner. I can already picture the long list of acting hopefuls vying for the the possibility of bringing Piper Nelson’s complex life to the big screen.
November 3, 2013
Piper's life is falling apart a few years after her daughter's death. She's divorced and an alcoholic. Her family relationships are dysfunctional, she can't stay away from her ex-husband, and she doesn't seem to have any friends. "Shake Down the Stars" is the story of hitting rock bottom, finding help, and picking up the pieces.
This was a quick read that I couldn't put down, but I did have some issues with the character development. Piper's sister Margot was quite a caricature of a spoiled self-centered woman with not a single redeeming quality. And I was almost halfway through the novel before I was able to identify the race of the characters. Maybe that could be considered a positive, that universal themes are beyond race. But I tend to have very detailed pictures in my mind of what I'm reading. Usually the details are refined as I get deeper into the story. I'm not sure it's ever happened before that getting deeper has completely contradicted the picture that had formed in my mind. I found it quite distracting.
This was a quick read that I couldn't put down, but I did have some issues with the character development. Piper's sister Margot was quite a caricature of a spoiled self-centered woman with not a single redeeming quality. And I was almost halfway through the novel before I was able to identify the race of the characters. Maybe that could be considered a positive, that universal themes are beyond race. But I tend to have very detailed pictures in my mind of what I'm reading. Usually the details are refined as I get deeper into the story. I'm not sure it's ever happened before that getting deeper has completely contradicted the picture that had formed in my mind. I found it quite distracting.
December 8, 2015
Well this book was a pleasant surprise for me. I won it on a FirstReads giveaway and was pleased to see it had such a high rating. I was on the fence on whether to give it 3 or 4 stars, it's closer to 4.
At first this book was too easy to put down, difficult to relate to some of the characters. Once into it I had no idea that the book was going to get into such deep issues. The book had a lot of depth with Piper and all her struggles. I found myself tearing up a few times when she talked about the accident involving her daughter. I can't imagine. I love that the main character was very real and very flawed. She was hitting the scotch and having one night stands. She had a dysfunctional family as well which only added more struggles. I became more absorbed in the story as I kept reading.
At first this book was too easy to put down, difficult to relate to some of the characters. Once into it I had no idea that the book was going to get into such deep issues. The book had a lot of depth with Piper and all her struggles. I found myself tearing up a few times when she talked about the accident involving her daughter. I can't imagine. I love that the main character was very real and very flawed. She was hitting the scotch and having one night stands. She had a dysfunctional family as well which only added more struggles. I became more absorbed in the story as I kept reading.
April 28, 2014
Let me start by saying I am a SUCKER for stories where hurt people admit the source of their pain and then make the journey toward healing. If you enjoy these kinds of stories, "Shake Down the Stars" is perfect for you. In the beginning it was a little hard for me to get into the story because I thought I didn't like Piper (the main character). But what I discovered was that I didn't like her behavior and her behavior was a result of pain. Piper has a mother that neglected her as a child and suffered a TERRIBLE loss that rocked her to the core. Like a lot of people, instead of dealing with the pain head on, she tries to numb it away with alcohol. This is a GREAT story about self-discovery and healing.
September 20, 2014
This was an unexpectedly emotional read! I almost put this book down after the first chapter, because I strongly disliked the main character and I thought this was going to be a light book full of girls getting drunk and sleeping around. Instead, it was a heart-wrenching story about a mother falling to rock bottom after the death of her young daughter, dealing with divorce and a dysfunctional family, and then pulling herself up from the bottom and making a new life for herself. While I cried several times as Piper reminisced about her daughter, there were other scenes that made me laugh, and I was so thankful when Piper finally started taking charge of her life. This would make a great book to discuss with my book club.
September 4, 2013
Loved this book.
It really brought across the creep of alcoholism and how it's possible to use your life as an excuse to get there.
The characters were vivid and so often I felt a rage towards the people that the main character had around her.
Having the book interspersed with the main character's love of astronomy was brilliant. It was like learning there's a museum in the sky. I had a similar experiences learning to dive this summer.
It really brought across the creep of alcoholism and how it's possible to use your life as an excuse to get there.
The characters were vivid and so often I felt a rage towards the people that the main character had around her.
Having the book interspersed with the main character's love of astronomy was brilliant. It was like learning there's a museum in the sky. I had a similar experiences learning to dive this summer.
August 24, 2015
I thought this book was pretty good. It was sad at times, but funny as well. The worst part about this book had to be Piper's sister and mom. Those two women were just complete bitches who were living with their heads in the clouds. I really liked Selwyn and was happy that Piper finally gave him a chance at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2016
I loved this book. It manages to be funny, deep, heartbreaking and hopeful--a rare feat. Piper Nelson, the main character, is a flawed individual (who can't relate to that?) and her journey in "Shake Down the Stars" is surprising, fast-paced and highly entertaining. I highly recommend this book!
May 7, 2013
4.5 stars--excellent story about a woman who is dealing with loss, family dysfunction, alcoholism, and trying to find connections with the people she loves and meets. Beautifully written tale.
April 17, 2020
I really, really liked this one! So many themes running through this book but for me, it boiled down to the main character Piper Nelson...after her daughter dies she's just wandering around aimlessly with a growing alcohol addiction but she ends up meeting some amazing people who help her overcome her demons. One of my favorite lines was when her friend told her to stop waiting on other people to be nice to you and start being nice to yourself! Also, I went star gazing after reading Piper's poetic descriptions of the Galaxy! It was amazing!
January 6, 2024
I like a romance novel, but I was more into this book before it became a romance novel. The main character was more interesting and more fun when she was a sloppy drunk swirling unrestrainedly through her life. And then she got sober and started talking in axioms from therapy the the 12 step program. Still a good read, still recommended. Just less fun for the second half.
Also, she made out with a 20 year old and everyone spent the rest of the book berating her for attacking a child. It wasn't predatory, and 20 is an adult. Get over it.
Also, she made out with a 20 year old and everyone spent the rest of the book berating her for attacking a child. It wasn't predatory, and 20 is an adult. Get over it.
August 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were full of personality, and I especially enjoyed the sharp wit and relatability of the lead, Piper. I think some of the themes, especially abuse, could have been approached in a different way and some of the dialogue was a bit trite, but otherwise I found it very entertaining (I found myself laughing out loud several times) and was often surprised by the tidbits of wisdom sewn in. I also loved how the author weaves in astronomy throughout the book!
March 4, 2018
Raw and refreshingly honest. While it was an easy read, the subject matter was anything but. As I read, I laughed at times and was uncomfortable at others. The author did a great job in detailing the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, siblings, exes, and new friendships. This story is about the highs and lows and the long journey to healing after a devastating tragedy.
July 15, 2018
Stunningly beautiful and full of heart. Piper Nelson is a complex, unforgettable character. Shake Down the Stars is one of my favorite books.
June 7, 2019
At the beginning of the book I wasn’t sure I would like it, but the author slowly but surely draws you in to the heart of the characters.
March 30, 2021
It was fine.
November 27, 2021
One star for Selwyn.
🖥
🖥
February 10, 2017
For a book that made me ugly cry every other chapter... I loved it.
October 11, 2013
Shake Down The Stars is a poignant and moving story about a woman who is struggling with the traumatic loss of her daughter, dysfunctional family drama, alcohol addiction and promiscuity. It is the story of a woman's journey to healing and rebuilding her life through the help of friendship and love.
Author Renee Swindle weaves an emotional tale of love, loss and redemption set in Oakland, California, and written in the first person narrative that follows the journey of Piper Nelson as her journey to heal from a tragic loss is filled with dramatic trials and tribulations that will tug at the reader's heartstrings. Piper is a flawed woman whose life swirls out of control after the tragic death of her four year old daughter Hailey in a car accident. Wrought with guilt, grief, dysfunctional family drama, and a painful divorce, Piper's life descends into a self-destructive path of alcoholism, promiscuity and poor choices. With the support of special friends and an unlikely love interest, Piper is able to see past the grief and destructive inner demons to embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, redemption, and rebuilding of her life.
Shake Down The Stars is a beautifully written story that takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. You can't help but feel the full gamut of emotions as Piper's journey to turn around her life is filled with daunting challenges, trials and tribulations, mixed with inspirational support from some amazing friends and a special love interest. Piper's story is raw and intense, yet the author also infuses a balance of humor and wit that gives the story a silver lining. This is the type of story that makes the reader pause and ponder how they would react to a tragic loss, and could they be able to move forward and embrace their own lives.
I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Piper's passion for astronomy. Her obsession for stargazing was one of the few things in life that gave her a sense of calm and spiritual connection that was a saving grace during her troubled times. I was fascinated by the author's inclusion of stargazing into the story, it made me want to go outside and watch the night light up with stars in wonderment.
Shake Down The Stars was an incredibly satisfying story of healing, redemption and love. It is a story that will resonate with you for a long time.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
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Author Renee Swindle weaves an emotional tale of love, loss and redemption set in Oakland, California, and written in the first person narrative that follows the journey of Piper Nelson as her journey to heal from a tragic loss is filled with dramatic trials and tribulations that will tug at the reader's heartstrings. Piper is a flawed woman whose life swirls out of control after the tragic death of her four year old daughter Hailey in a car accident. Wrought with guilt, grief, dysfunctional family drama, and a painful divorce, Piper's life descends into a self-destructive path of alcoholism, promiscuity and poor choices. With the support of special friends and an unlikely love interest, Piper is able to see past the grief and destructive inner demons to embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, redemption, and rebuilding of her life.
Shake Down The Stars is a beautifully written story that takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. You can't help but feel the full gamut of emotions as Piper's journey to turn around her life is filled with daunting challenges, trials and tribulations, mixed with inspirational support from some amazing friends and a special love interest. Piper's story is raw and intense, yet the author also infuses a balance of humor and wit that gives the story a silver lining. This is the type of story that makes the reader pause and ponder how they would react to a tragic loss, and could they be able to move forward and embrace their own lives.
I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Piper's passion for astronomy. Her obsession for stargazing was one of the few things in life that gave her a sense of calm and spiritual connection that was a saving grace during her troubled times. I was fascinated by the author's inclusion of stargazing into the story, it made me want to go outside and watch the night light up with stars in wonderment.
Shake Down The Stars was an incredibly satisfying story of healing, redemption and love. It is a story that will resonate with you for a long time.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
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October 24, 2013It’s been five years since Piper Nelson’s daughter died, but she’s coping worse than ever. Her mother and sister are so absorbed in the sister’s celebrity wedding, they don’t have time to notice Piper’s pain. Her ex husband has moved on, and the loss seems to sever her last connection to her daughter, adding to her sorrow.
Her job as a high school teacher suffers as Piper begins drinking more and more to stave off the pain. And like many addicts, she’s hurt too many people by the time she reaches the end of her descent to know where to turn. Help comes in the unlikely form of Selwyn, whom Piper meets at a disastrous engagement party for her sister and her sister’s pro football fiance. Not put off by Piper’s anger and addiction, he instead offers her support and friendship.
She knows she needs to change, but how do you move on from such a loss? How do you shut it away when others are ready to pass over it?
Though Shake Down the Stars could easily have been a depressing or morbid book, Renee Swindle writes a book that feels incredibly realistic and respectful. Addiction is never demonized but written about with understanding and empathy. Swindle also respects that loss looks different to different people and that the reactions to death can range as widely as the people that death affects. But Piper can’t see that in her grief, and the family dynamics and her eventual recognition of them is just as pivotal to her story.
Piper learns to find joy and laughter again through unexpected relationships, including other addicts who walk the same road she does. Yet never does Swindle brush over Piper’s pain, making for a book that can cause laughter and tears sometimes on the same page.
ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere says it best, calling Shake Down the Stars “a rich, savvy exploration of the many kinds of love, loss, and dysfunction that can unearth us or save us, bedevil us or deliver us.”
Her job as a high school teacher suffers as Piper begins drinking more and more to stave off the pain. And like many addicts, she’s hurt too many people by the time she reaches the end of her descent to know where to turn. Help comes in the unlikely form of Selwyn, whom Piper meets at a disastrous engagement party for her sister and her sister’s pro football fiance. Not put off by Piper’s anger and addiction, he instead offers her support and friendship.
She knows she needs to change, but how do you move on from such a loss? How do you shut it away when others are ready to pass over it?
Though Shake Down the Stars could easily have been a depressing or morbid book, Renee Swindle writes a book that feels incredibly realistic and respectful. Addiction is never demonized but written about with understanding and empathy. Swindle also respects that loss looks different to different people and that the reactions to death can range as widely as the people that death affects. But Piper can’t see that in her grief, and the family dynamics and her eventual recognition of them is just as pivotal to her story.
Piper learns to find joy and laughter again through unexpected relationships, including other addicts who walk the same road she does. Yet never does Swindle brush over Piper’s pain, making for a book that can cause laughter and tears sometimes on the same page.
ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere says it best, calling Shake Down the Stars “a rich, savvy exploration of the many kinds of love, loss, and dysfunction that can unearth us or save us, bedevil us or deliver us.”
October 16, 2013
It’s been a long time since I have stayed up two nights in a row completely absorbed in a novel. I started Shake Down The Stars and couldn’t put it down. Piper Nelson, the main character has a host of problems. She drinks too much, has a narcissistic sister who is married to a pro- football player (and rap star), a self-righteous religious mother and a depressed husband. Piper gets angry, goes on drinking binges, blacks out, and makes many bad choices. Death haunts her and she also stalks it by walking around her neighborhood, at night, and paying homage to the makeshift altars dedicated to the recently departed, mostly young victims, and often victims of violence. And, at the beginning of the novel she’s isolated and doesn’t have any quality friendships.
But, we stay with Piper and ultimately root for her because we come to understand the wound that is eating away at her. It’s a wound so big it makes us wonder how she is still able to live. During the novel, we realize given Piper’s challenges, most of us wouldn’t cope any better. Take away something we love and we’d go to the shadow side.
As Piper stuffs down the pain things quickly go from bad to worse. You want Piper to edge closer to the pain, so that she can transform it. We also stay with her because she is kind, has a sharp wit, is a gifted high school teacher in a underfunded school and she loves the stars. Piper is an amateur astronomer and the stars are her refuge.
There is no typical stock character in this novel set in Oakland. Swindle calls our attention to the vibrant racial and ethnic diversity, in the city, and the range of class backgrounds (and breakdowns). The questions this novel explores are: How does one deal with grief? How can we forgive ourselves in the face of tragedy? What are we willing to do to become authentic? How do we heal? Through deft writing and fantastic characterization Swindle has created a memorable novel that inspires and delivers through the very last page.
But, we stay with Piper and ultimately root for her because we come to understand the wound that is eating away at her. It’s a wound so big it makes us wonder how she is still able to live. During the novel, we realize given Piper’s challenges, most of us wouldn’t cope any better. Take away something we love and we’d go to the shadow side.
As Piper stuffs down the pain things quickly go from bad to worse. You want Piper to edge closer to the pain, so that she can transform it. We also stay with her because she is kind, has a sharp wit, is a gifted high school teacher in a underfunded school and she loves the stars. Piper is an amateur astronomer and the stars are her refuge.
There is no typical stock character in this novel set in Oakland. Swindle calls our attention to the vibrant racial and ethnic diversity, in the city, and the range of class backgrounds (and breakdowns). The questions this novel explores are: How does one deal with grief? How can we forgive ourselves in the face of tragedy? What are we willing to do to become authentic? How do we heal? Through deft writing and fantastic characterization Swindle has created a memorable novel that inspires and delivers through the very last page.
August 27, 2013
This book caused me to feel a lot heavier emotions that I was planning from the start. Piper is our troubled heroine, who is going through a divorce and is far from the normal divorcee that we often think about when reading books like this one. Hear me when I tell you that this book will take you places and make you feel things that you did not expect at all! Piper is a troubled soul and at first I questioned her character and if I would even grow to like her. However, when I also took into consideration that Piper was dealing with her daughter’s death as well this changed things for me. I have never experienced feelings like these, but I think that Renee Swindle did an amazing job in characterizing what they might feel like.
Piper is a strong character with deep, believable characterization provided by Swindle. Like I said before, I started off not liking her at all, but by the middle of the book I was Team Piper. I couldn’t stand the people in her life that had hurt her of the trials that she was going through. This would be an excellent book for someone to read that is going through a hard time that others may not understand. Piper could be considered a very inspirational role model in the life of suffering through things just like she is.
The love interest in this book was very delicate and I often wondered if anything was going to come of it. Renee Swindle had me guessing the entire time. I fought the urge to read ahead and find out about the supposed love interest, but I did not. I waited like a good little reader. There is so much I loved about this book, and I could really go on and on. What I loved most was that this book gave me everything I was NOT expecting! It was a wonderful surprise! Very well-written!
***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at NAL Trade in exchange for my honest review***
Piper is a strong character with deep, believable characterization provided by Swindle. Like I said before, I started off not liking her at all, but by the middle of the book I was Team Piper. I couldn’t stand the people in her life that had hurt her of the trials that she was going through. This would be an excellent book for someone to read that is going through a hard time that others may not understand. Piper could be considered a very inspirational role model in the life of suffering through things just like she is.
The love interest in this book was very delicate and I often wondered if anything was going to come of it. Renee Swindle had me guessing the entire time. I fought the urge to read ahead and find out about the supposed love interest, but I did not. I waited like a good little reader. There is so much I loved about this book, and I could really go on and on. What I loved most was that this book gave me everything I was NOT expecting! It was a wonderful surprise! Very well-written!
***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at NAL Trade in exchange for my honest review***
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