In 1972, change is sweeping the world, but it isn’t coming fast enough to South Carolina.
Not for Triss, anyway. She has always wanted to become an attorney, but her influential grandfather who raised her won't hear of it. She attempts to go it on her own—until she commits an impetuous act that threatens to derail her life.
Everlove, the daughter of a working-class family, is not looking for change but it finds her anyway. She has always followed the rules—until one day, she doesn’t and blows up the life she has always known.
The women meet, become friends, and help each other find new paths forward. They might have given up if the indomitable Mrs. McCabe didn’t step in to offer her eighty-plus years of experience—whether they want it or not.
Can the two women build new lives from the ones they shattered?
Readers of Clare Pooley and Fredrik Backman will enjoy this uplifting tale of unlikely friendships and the quest for fulfillment.
Pamela Stockwell was born in Texas and raised in South Carolina. In between, she lived in the Philippines and, along with her big sister, became fluent in Tagalog name-calling. She abandoned her foreign language studies at age five but went on to earn a BA in journalism from the University of South Carolina. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey. She is a member of the Princeton Writers Group and Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Her writing has appeared in several anthologies and online literary magazines. Her first novel, A Boundless Place, has won several awards and her second book, The Tender Silver Stars, will be coming out in 2024.
(Currently available on Kindle unlimited.) This was a wonderful story! It was well-written, well paced, and you can tell the author did a lot of research on the time period. The characters were believable and multi-dimensional. I love when a story is so good you can play it out like a movie as you read it. It felt a bit too long but that is a usual pet peeve of mine. I would like to see more appropriate cover art; this cover doesn't portray a good feel for the book. Overall, a solid 4 stars. I'm looking forward to reading other work by this author.
This book will live on as a traveling book in LiterALLy BOOKiSh, a Facebook book club.
I adored this historical fiction book. It follows the journey of two young women, one white and one Black, in 1972 trying to make their way in the world. Triss longs to be an attorney, but her grandfather doesn’t think a woman’s place is in the courtroom. Her fierce independence streak takes over, and she moves out on her own, into a trailer park community. There she meets a cast of delightful characters, including the elderly Mrs. McCabe, who is a hoot! Triss gets a job working for a wealthy attorney in town who serves as a mean landlord to many of the town’s lower socioeconomic tenants. Things really heat up when she finds out his backhanded dealings with some shady folks, and schemes to take him down.
And into this scene enters Everlove, a runaway bride who has left her fiancé at the altar and longs to be independent and a writer/journalist. Her path crosses with Triss and they wind up being roommates… and becoming friends and family.
Covering issues of racism, classism, and feminism against the backdrop of the South in the 1970s, this book takes on weighty issues and handles them well. And the deep and delightful character development and plot keep it fast paced. You’ll find yourself quickly turning the pages to find out what happens to this dynamic duo and the rest of the characters that inhabit the world of The Tender Silver Stars!
This is a lovely novel written by Pamela Stockwell. Written well with complex and developed characters, Stockwell's work drives home the universal desires we have as human beings to connect and belong. Three unlikely women find friendship in one another as they set out to solve a mystery of corruption in a small town in the 70s South — their journey made more difficult by the historically sexist and racist tenets of the time. This is a great book for women's book clubs!
It was heartwarming to be back on Magnolia Avenue and to catch up with Mrs. McCabe, Mr. Pritchard and other neighbors. Triss and Everlove were wonderful new additions to the neighborhood and I loved their big hearts and determined spirits. Both were charting their own course despite their families strong willed opinions about the paths they should have taken. This was such a beautiful story about friendship, compassion and following your heart even when it’s not the easy route.
Weaving important topics with humor and Southern charm, Pamela Stockwell entertains the reader with this charming, tender novel. You'll love her characters. I was so glad to spend time with them again, after meeting them in her debut, A Boundless Place. I highly recommend both books.
Loved reading about the evolving friendship of Triss and Everlove, two young women in the 70’s South. Both struggle against society’s stereotypes to find fulfilling roles. Their nosey neighborMrs McCabe is a treat and I just enjoyed every scene she was in. A great read!
I enjoyed every page of this story about an unlikely friendship between two women separated by race and class in 1972, who help each other grow and mature into independent adults throughout some very bumpy story events.
Triss, 23, is a young white woman brought up in a well-to-do family. Frustrated by her grandfather’s refusal to let her become a lawyer and join the family firm, she rebels, leaving home and accepting a secretarial position in the law office of her grandfather’s rival, where she accidentally uncovers some shady business dealings and impulsively turns Robin Hood. Acting before she thinks also gets her wrapped up with another woman’s problems.
Everlove, a shy young Black woman, shocks everyone in her community when she walks– well, runs– away from the future they expected for her. With Triss as her unplanned getaway driver, and soon her roommate, she must find her own personal and professional path and decide how much she’s going to risk to help her new friend right wrongs.
This story has so much going on! There’s a touch of mystery, as the women dig into a historical death; a bit of adventure (I had to put the book down at one moment when our heroine almost got discovered investigating where she shouldn’t), and plenty of easy-going humor. There are quirky neighbors, loving but difficult family members, and so many fun period details. I felt like I was sitting at the dented formica table in the kitchen of my grandmother’s single-wide trailer with the characters, hashing out their options. The author also doesn’t shy away from important issues, including discrimination based on gender, race, and social class. Don’t mistake the gentle tone of this novel for being lightweight.
I enjoyed the richly drawn characters; they felt like real people, with complex problems and sometimes unexpected reactions. The plot also was satisfyingly windy, and even the villains turned out to have very human motives and problems of their own.
Oh, and if all this isn’t enough, let’s not forget the period recipe section in the back! I was delighted to see deviled eggs, almost identical to my mother’s, and correctly garnished with a sprinkle of paprika (although I must humbly point out a typo: the author wrote “white vinegar” when I’m sure she must have meant “pickle juice”.) A tasty treat to top off a very satisfying story.
Set in the early 1970s, The Tender Silver Stars takes us on a journey with Triss Littlefield, a plucky twenty-two-year-old. Triss aims to become a lawyer, despite the challenges career women face at the time. But her grandfather, also her guardian, doesn’t agree.
Lacking the support of family, she takes a secretary job at a law office, and moves to an inexpensive mobile home neighborhood, determined to make it on her own.
But her plans go awry when she ends up stealing money from her boss — albeit with the best intentions! Soon she’s terrified she’ll be found out, and unsure how to get herself out of the situation she’s put herself in.
In the road, she meets Everlove, a runaway bride in full wedding dress who just shimmied down a wisteria vine to avoid her wedding. They become housemates and rapid, if tentative, friends. Everlove is black, and at a moment when racial tensions in the South barely hide beneath the surface, the two women must learn to navigate their different backgrounds and life experiences. To Triss, stealing the money was a mistake. To Everlove it could mean a prison sentence, or worse.
The novel is based on Magnolia Avenue. A return to the most charming neighborhood as Stockwell’s first novel, a place where neighbors look out for each other, and life’s burdens become just a little easier. Triss and Everlove rapidly get to know their neighbors — Arabella, the outspoken yet welcoming kid from across the street, the straight-faced Mr. Pritchard, and Mrs. McCabe, the interfering elderly neighbor, determined to help Triss and Everlove put things right.
The developing friendship between Triss and Everlove is a joy to experience. The Tender Silver Stars felt like returning to a simpler time — to a charming neighborhood where neighbors look out for each other, yet the under-tones of racial segregation are still there.
Stockwell treats each topic which care, creating a sensitive, warm-hearted novel, with just the right touch of mystery, that left me wanting to return to the charm of Magnolia Avenue again and again.
I really enjoyed the first one, so I was excited to see she had written another historical and added more characters to the little trailer community in South Carolina. I love that we get some of the characters from the previous book in this one as well. Triss is always trying to do good, but often she does before she thinks and usually finds herself in situations she needs help getting out of. Proving to her grandfather that she can make it on her own, she finds herself a place to live as well as a job for someone her grandfather is not a fan of. She will prove one way or another she can become an attorney but when she finds herself in another one of her situations, this one is going against the law even if it is for the good of others, she can forget all about her dream career. Triss isn't sure how to get out of this one, so when she puts her trust into two very new friends she hopes they will see her reasoning of doing this and help her finish out the good deed that initiated her to break the law. I enjoyed that McCabe was back in this story as a main character and really enjoyed Everlove being brought in as well. I am looking forward to more from this little gang of friends. Thank you to the author for the complementary novel and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.
I read The Tender Silver Stars happy to return to the South Carolina setting of Stockwell’s first novel, A Boundless Place, with its quirky set of largely well-meaning characters, especially the indomitable and humorous Mrs. McCabe. This new novel focuses on the serendipitous friendship between two young women, one white and one Black. Both Everlove and Triss are facing challenges, from their families and the conventions of 1972, involving independent decision making and life choices. Their world seems very distant in certain ways, yet not so much in others. For example, it wasn’t until 1974 that women were able to apply for credit cards independent of a husband or male family member and there are plenty of reminders in The Tender Silver Stars of the obstacles facing women in education and employment at that time—acknowledgements of how far we’ve come. On the other hand, there are certainly still many places in the United States where interracial friendships are considered curious or even offensive, and where interracial socialization is discouraged. The villains in the book are real, both people and prejudice. Yet despite some pushback, Triss and Everlove manage to face their challenges—some of their own making—with support for one another. A tender read, for sure.
This is my second novel by Pamela Stockwell, and, once again, she has written a wonderful small-town story with a memorable cast of characters.
We return to Magnolia Ave in South Carolina in 1972, where, yes, unfortunately, racism and sexism are still very much alive. Triss, a white woman who yearns to be an attorney, makes a grave mistake at work. Everlove is a young Black woman who walks away from her own wedding. When the two meet on the road, literally, they form an unlikely friendship and partnership.
I love stories with strong female friendships, and this was full of great moments. Triss and Everlove had their hands full with difficult family members and neighbors, a mystery to solve, and overcoming prejudices.
It was a delight to see the support these women gave one another, along with other women they welcomed into their circle. The fun, descriptive references to the ‘70s and the included recipes in the back were an added bonus to this tender and satisfying read.
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @pamelastockwellauthor for a spot on tour and a gifted book.
The Tender Silver Stars by Pamela Stockwell is a well written novel of historical fiction. I was happy to see that the story was set in the 1970's in South Carolina. Having loved the author's first book A Boundless Place that was also set in South Carolina, this book was a real treat for me.
The story follows the journey of two young women, one black, one white. They meet by chance as roommates and become friends and found family very quicky.
Triss and Everlove go on a journey of what is right and wrong and where the lines can be blurred. The characters face so many issues, racial and gender inequality.
They both want to have the freedom to choose what they want to do with their lives.
The character development is excellent and I would be remiss if I did not mention Mrs. McCabe, such a strong character.
Triss is impulsive and good-hearted. Everlove is prudent and brave. Pamela Stockwell gives the reader two characters very different from each other in so many ways, yet they share similarities in their search for self-identity and independence from the patriarchy, the social norms and the racial inequality that shape the lives of these characters in the seventies.
The book shows us what we can do when we see each other as equal and human. An empowering tale of what women are capable of when they’re given the opportunity to play on a levelled field. That it’s never too late to make dreams happen.
The well-paced story makes me turn the pages long after my bedtime, because I wanted to know that the girls were okay. The author makes the reader care deeply and the characters pull us into their tribe making room for everyone into the bosom of their humble home and their rich lives. A great and tender read!!
What a wonderful story this was from the very first word of the book to the very last. I read this as a traveling book and I am glad that most before me liked it as much as I did. I have rounded up to 5 stars from 4.5 for Goodreads. I truly loved the writing, the characters, the conversations, the shady characters. Everything was just right for me. I felt myself learning a lot about family and friendship and the true saying we cannot choose our family but we can choose our friends. These 3 main women were strong, courageous and brave. By finding each other and their friendship they each found a way to pursue some of the dreams that they had. The hint of romance for Everlove was truly delightful the way it was woven into the story. It's amazing to think that despite how far things had come by the 1970s how far behind they still were. I highly recommend this book to all and I look forward to reading another by this author.
Charming but also meaningful. This book set in a few months in the fall and winter of 1972 in South Carolina shares friendship over age and race. It has two young women who are ahead of their time and are trying to navigate expectations versus needs. It has a street made up of all kinds of people that treat each other with dignity and love.
Told in multiple points of view, this book also has people who are prejudice and others that are small minded to life.
There is a small town bad guy who has some skeletons in his closest and three women who are trying to right some of his wrongs.
The characters in this book are the absolute best. They leap out on the page as they tell the story.
If you love southern fiction (which I do), a gratifying plot, and diving into the time of 1972, this is the PERFECT book.
Suspense from the first chapter! Our two main characters are both running away from difficulties at home. Triss steals a wad of cash from her boss, and Everlove leaves her groom standing at the altar. The stories and backgrounds of the two women collide in surprising ways, and the story kept me engaged throughout. The plot unfolds as the two women unite to investigate a tragic death in the past. Along the way, they develop a friendship that might be unusual, given their backgrounds and social upbringing during the 1970s. The book touches on civil rights issues such as gender and racial equality.
I was delighted to return to the author’s setting and some of the characters from her first book. Mrs. McCabe was one of my favorites, so I enjoyed seeing her take on a more central role in this story. I look forward to reading the next one from this author!
A tender loving story (with an edge): I just finished The Tender Silver Stars by Pamela Stockwell and I enjoyed it every bit as much as her first book A Boundless Place. No second novel syndrome for this author! I was so happy to be reacquainted with Mrs. McCabe, Mr. Pritchard and Arabella, but was delighted to meet Triss and Everlove. Set in the South in 1972, Stockwell does not shy away from the inequities suffered by Blacks and the surprising ways that even liberal minded whites can unwittingly discriminate. She also handles the nascent feminist movement with great dexterity. If you like well written books with a strong ensemble cast and a plot that keeps you turning the pages, this book is for you!
I really enjoyed The Tender Silver Stars! Set in 1972 in South Carolina, the two main characters, Triss and Everlove, are feeling stuck in their current situations, both wanting more out of their lives. When they cross paths unexpectedly, they quickly connect and form a close friendship and become roomates, which is seen as somewhat unusual considering Triss is White and Everlove is Black. Setting (both time and place) was super important in this story, because even though on paper things were changing, attitudes were slow to follow, both in terms of equal rights for women and segregations/discrimination. Stockwell did a really great job introducing and tackling these issues by working to really situate the story in its setting. The story is told through multiple alternating narrators, with Triss and Everlove being the two primary narrators. Transitioning between narrators was seamless and it was very easy to follow, it also really helped keep the pace and storyline flowing. It was easy to connect with the two main characters and the supporting characters were interesting and complimented the main characters well. Everlove and Triss both grew and changed over the course of the story and I really liked both of their arcs. I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading the author's future books!
A beautifully crafted, memorable, and deeply uplifting character-driven novel. Pamela Stockwell transports readers to South Carolina in 1972, where two women Triss, who dreams of being an attorney in a family that won't allow it, and Everlove, a young Black woman yearning to escape societal expectations forge an unlikely and transformative friendship. With the help of the indomitable octogenarian Mrs. McCabe, they navigate personal crises, confront a long-unsolved mystery, and build new lives against a backdrop of slow-changing social norms. The historical setting is seamlessly woven into a narrative rich with heart, wisdom, and a wonderful cast of supporting characters. A savored, thought-provoking, and thoroughly satisfying read.
Stockwell revisits the South Carolina neighborhood she explored in her debut, this time focusing on two different women - Triss who's trying to find a way out of her working class background to become an attorney and Everymore, a uncertain bride-to-be, who isn't sure her life is headed in the right direction. The two, plus other members of their mobile-home community, bond together to take down an unscrupulous landlord and in the process, discover truths about their lives and the unwavering bonds of friendship that link them. If your a fan of southern tales and uplifting narratives, this book deserves a place in your library.
Triss and Everlove, both unique names and both unique individuals. This book just made me feel good. You literally cannot help rooting for all the layered storylines. And because I read Pamela Stockwell's first book (A Boundless Place), I got a peek at the characters from that book as each made small appearances in this one. A few notable crossovers were Mrs. McCabe and Mr. Prichard, who I liked so much from the first book and love learning more of their backstories in this one. It is such a delightful book and an easy read. Lookout summer, this one should be on everyone's summer reading list!
Pamela Stockwell has done it again! With nostalgic language and descriptive prose, The Tender Silver Stars draws us back to the 1970s in the South. Skillfully created characters will weave their way into readers’ hearts, and anyone who has read Pamela Stockton’s debut novel (A Boundless Place) will be happy to meet up with the indomitable Mrs. McCabe once again. This novel has vibes of a grown-up Nancy Drew mystery, in all the best ways, while subtly exploring the line between right and wrong. I cheered for Triss and Everlove as they tackled racial, economic, and gender inequalities. I will be thinking about them for a long time to come.
The Tender Silver Stars is a gorgeous novel of friendship and finding the courage to stand up to help those who can't stand up for themselves. I loved seeing how Triss and Everlove's friendship developed and how they encouraged one another. Mrs. McCabe is a delightful addition to round out this trio of ladies who work to right some very big wrongs in their 1970s society as well as one from over fifty years earlier.
Issues of racism, sexism, and classism are brought to the forefront in this story, and I was cheering for justice to be served and progress to be made. It's also a really fun story that kept me engaged as I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
I am a white-knuckle flyer, so I choose carefully when I select my travel novel. I chose a story that begins with parallel shocks: a runaway bride and an inexperienced thief. This novel did not disappoint! But these were not just random wild adventures—these were credible, fascinating women trying to carve new pathways for their lives beyond the expected rules. I loved the twists that surprised me as I read, yet were, in retrospect, inevitable. The 1970s small southern town is recreated in all its casserole glory. Thank you, Pamela Stockwell, for keeping my mind on the turbulence in the exciting lives of Everlove and Triss, not on the air-bumps of my flight.
I really enjoyed this book. Set in 1972, this is the story of two young women determined to find their way in their changing world. Everlove just played the runaway bride and meets Triss who has moved from her well-to-do grandfather's home to a mobile home park. The women become roommates and face the issues in their lives with humor and determination. This book is a follow-up to Stockwell's "A Boundless Place" and I am hoping Stockwell brings us more adventures in the lives of her engaging characters.
This is my second book from this author and I’m in love with her writing style. With this book we return to Magnolia Avenue, the setting of her previous novel and it was a delight to visit and meet her adorable characters again.
Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 by Pamela Stockwell releases April 24, 2024.
An uplifting story of community, friendship, and courage, The Tender Silver Stars is a shining example of how to be the change you wish to see in the world.
Stockwell artfully welcomes readers back to Magnolia Avenue, where the beloved cast from A Boundless Place welcome new residents Triss and Everlove, two women determined to navigate the road less travelled. Grab yourself a copy and prepare to curl up awhile with this wonderful read!
Tender Silver Stars is a delightful story of unlikely friendship, women sticking together to raise each other up, a bad decision based on good intentions, power, and greed, that all come together thanks to a wonderful cast of characters. Set in the deep south in the 70s, the dialogue is spot on (I’m Louisiana born and bred myself) as is the portrayal of women’s struggles to be recognized for their abilities, and racial tension and distrust of the time. Highly recommend.
Taking place during the 1970's South Carolina, is the story of two women, one white, one black, who meet, and help each other. All they want is to control their own destiny. There is also a mystery, quirky neighbors, being a woman in the 1970's, racism, and social standards. I really enjoyed this. I also loved the last book from this author. A great book club pick.