The Stars and Their Light

by Olivia Hawker

In Roswell, New Mexico, the mystery of the unknown grips a sheltered novitiate in a haunting historical novel about fate, agency, and faith by the bestselling author of October in the Earth.

It’s 1947 when Sister Mary Agnes arrives in New Mexico. Her mission is to establish a monastery in the town of Roswell, where weeks before rumors of the crash landing of an unidentified craft have triggered a crisis of faith. Residents are drifting away from the divine, awed no longer by the heavens but rather the stars.

In service to the frightened and confused, Sister Mary Agnes soon befriends Betty Campbell, a teenager marked both physically and psychically by the inexplicable event. Mary Agnes is also unsettlingly drawn to Harvey, an attentive handyman refurbishing the monastery—and a firsthand witness to the crash. But as Mary Agnes tries to guide her wayward friends back to the church, it’s the fantastic and the forbidden that begin to loom large in her imagination.

Thrown into her own crisis of doubt, Mary Agnes must choose whether to uphold the order in which she came of age or embrace the truth she feels in her heart, despite its terrifying complexity.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook

381 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Also publishes under Libbie Hawker, Libbie Grant, and L.M. Ironside

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was indeed "an unusual work of historical fiction" written by the gifted author, Olivia Hawker. I went into this book blind, not knowing what it was about, and I was very surprised to learn that it was about the people in the late 1940s in Roswell, New Mexico and their experiences with a UFO that crashes on a nearby ranch. However, this is not a science fiction story, which I thought it might be. It is very different yet totally engaging.

A mysterious object falls out of the sky. Is it a flying saucer or a weather balloon like the Army says it is? Could it possibly be a secret spy plane sent by Russia or is it something from God? Questions of truth, honesty, and faith disrupt the small town of Roswell.

The characters are well-fleshed out and their stories are unique and compelling. Betty is a quiet teen girl who wants nothing more than to go to a good college or university to study aeronautics. After her father secretly brings home a small piece of artifact from the crash site, Betty begins to demonstrate evidence of stigmata. She experiences bleeding from her palms and feet. Is it a hoax or is it a miracle? Who will believe her? What do the leaders of the church think? Betty soon becomes an object of gossip and scrutiny, and an outcast within her school and the town.

During this same time, a small group of nuns from the Sisters of Charity in Chicago are sent to Roswell to minister to the townspeople. Unbeknownst to them is the occurrence of a miraculous event just prior to their arrival. Sister Mary Agnes is suffering from her own crisis of faith when she is called to witness the phenomenon happening to Betty. Her beliefs are put to the test, as well as her disturbing feelings for Harvey.

As a radar specialist for the Army, Harvey Day was the first person to pick up strange signals on his radar. After the crash of the UFO, Harvey is also the first person sent to look inside the vehicle. Overwhelmed, Harvey leaves the Army, but he is sworn to secrecy and left to flounder. Eventually, undeterred by threats, he finds someone to share his secret with and readers finally learn what he saw inside the UFO.

By the end, readers may find themselves questioning some of the characters actions and reactions based on their own backgrounds, faith, and beliefs. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction who like to read unusual or contemplative stories.

The author's note at the end of the book is one that you do not want to miss. I loved learning about the reasons that led the author to write this book and all the research that was used to write it. I feel that the material would be fascinating for believers and nonbelievers alike.

(The stars) "It's proof, isn't it, that some things really are too big for any of us to understand."

My sincere thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of author Olivia Hawker, when I started reading her new novel I struggled to get into it, I kept going and I was determined to finish it. Using the true story of a possible sighting of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 and her own experiences she deviates from her normal style of historical fiction and writes something very different.

Betty Campbell is a teenager when her father a Colonel in the United States army takes her to a ranch at outside of Corona and what occurs affects her physically and mentally. Sister Mary Agnes leaves Illinois as part of a group of nuns sent to establish a monastery in the area, and she hears about the rumours of a crash landing of an unidentified flying object, and she meets both Betty and Harvey Day he's an ex-soldier and now a handyman both have been told to keep silent about what happened.

At the time in America they were worried and paranoid of another war starting and it being a nuclear one, so anything suspicious was considered a possible threat and the public was kept in the dark and it was sweep under the carpet. Betty becomes a disillusioned outcast and Mary Agnes questions her own faith and path and was it divine intervention and god actively interfering in human affairs to alter or change the situation and via Betty?

I received a copy of The Stars and Their Light by Olivia Hawker from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Three stars from me and I suggest reading this book for yourself and to see if plot about faith, aliens and unidentified flying objects and what happened in Mexico makes sense to you.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

An unusual historical fiction that explores faith and science, and finding the ability to speak up. Roswell, New Mexico, is not a place that I find myself venturing very often in my literary travels. It was the cover, admittedly, that drew me to request this title. Taking readers back to 1947 and a mystery surrounding a girl experiencing stigmata, along with a rumor of aliens, was a truly fascinating subject for a Saturday morning. I wouldn't think they would go together, BUT they did in a cleverly crafted story.

The Stars and Their Light sounds like it would be very much grounded in the roots of science fiction. Yet, it is also grounded very much in the historical and the spiritual. It is the latter that most surprised me. Quite frankly, I enjoyed that exploration and feel this is a good book club selection. Lots of conversations and reactions when reading a book like this.

For most of the book, my focus was on the teenager, Betty Campbell, and not the nun, Mary Agnes. Please note, I don't read the synopsis of the book when requesting just the taglines, and oftentimes, I forget what was described. 😂 This made it an absolutely treat of a read to experience.

In addition, I enjoyed the author's note, and while Olivia Hawker states her books don't usually follow this type of vein, I would be intrigued to seek out her other titles.






#TheStarsandTheirLight #NetGalley
Publication Date 01/04/25
Goodreads Review 07/04/25

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Olivia Hawker's creative talent through her acclaimed book, One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow. I appreciate how she pushes the envelope on historical fiction, particularly with this new novel.

I've been to Roswell, New Mexico, and loved touring that quirky town. I had the same feeling there as I had when touring Salem, Massachusetts. There is just something in both of their atmospheres that you can feel, like weather. So I was very interested in this topic, a well-researched examination of the crash landing in 1947 of "something" the army was determined to report as a weather balloon.

I'll leave it to other readers to decide where they stand on the history issue, but Hawker will make you think hard about spirituality and science and the unknown. A great book club read (if you are in a book club that can discuss these issues with an open mind to the opinions of all group members).

There are a range of deep characters in this novel, but my favorite was army radar tech Harvey Day, who has the burden of seeing the inside of the "craft" and living with that changed experience. In those sections especially, Hawker's prose just sings with emotion and beauty.

[Wendy Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like this author. This book was a disappointment. She has stepped outside her usual topics and into UFOs. The plot was unbelievable, but she has put her talent for creating realistic characters to good use.

[Karen’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Olivia Hawker’s last book, October in the Earth, and loved it. When I found out she was writing a book about Roswell and the mysterious unidentified craft that crashed in 1947 and immediately whisked away by the military, I knew I had to read this one! I’ve always had a fascination with Roswell and UFO’s.

What I didn’t realize, but should have known, is that The Stars and Their Light was so much more. It’s a historical novel that takes place in Roswell, but is really about a high school teen who develops stigmata from touching a piece of the craft, and the nun who befriends her.

The story delves deep into the spiritual as a group of nuns arrive shortly after the crash to establish a monastery in Roswell.

I found the historical aspect of life in 1947 to be completely fascinating. The storyline of the mysterious UFO was there but was not really the main plot of the book.

I adored the characters of Betty the teen, and Sister Mary Agnes and was very satisfied by the ending.

But the part that was the most intriguing to me was the author’s notes explaining the reason why she wrote this book along with the real facts about this event.

I’m eagerly awaiting whatever Olivia Hawker comes up with next.

*Thanks so much to the author for providing me with a gifted ARC!*

[The Sub Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Olivia Hawker for gifting me a copy of her book.

The Stars and Their Light is unique historical fiction novel that will have you googling events and considering the what if. Set in Roswell, NM in 1947, we revisit the UFO landing that was later identified to be a “weather balloon” *wink *wink. When one of the men at the scene keeps a piece of the metal, his daughter, Betty, touches it and develops Stigmata. Not long after, a monestary is sent to Roswell, where Sister Mary Agnes befriends Betty. Struggling with her own faith, Mary Agnes is quickly questioning all that she knows.

Hawker does an excellent job of building characters who each respond to this event differently. From the teenagers, to the people in government, to the elders of the church, they all have thoughts and opinions.

It was easy to be drawn in emotionally, linking yourself with these characters. How their lives were turned completely upside down. She also does a great job of reminding us that if indeed the government announced these things, how chaos would abound.

The authors note is not to be missed and she dives a little into her own experience and gives more insight into the actual happenings of 1947.

This book sure made for a great conversation piece in my history loving household.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of Olivia Hawker, but this book was not my fave of hers, The premise and start of the story was promising, but it stalled out about mid-way through and never picked back up, The writing style seemed more simplistic than in the other books of hers I have read. I would have gone with 2 stars, but the author’s note at the end convinced me to bump it up to 3 stars as I had not realized how much history was embedded in the story, and The Roswell Incident itself is fascinating. 6/10.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[RebeccaReadsTooMuch 💁‍♀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stars and their Light is historical fiction about the most unusual topics I’ve come across yet - the unexplained flying saucer crash in Roswell of 1947, combined with the opening of a monastery. It was exciting and refreshing to read about something different. While parts of the book were a bit slow, I grew to care about the characters and truly loved them by the end. The way Olivia Hawker presented the acceptance of studying questions over the need for explanations wrapped everything up nicely and I’m sure will leave me pondering this book for a long time.

4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia Hawker's "The Stars and Their Light" beautifully merges the mysterious world of UFOs with profound spiritual questioning in what might be her most ambitious work to date. Set against the backdrop of the infamous 1947 Roswell incident, Hawker delivers a contemplative exploration of faith, truth, and the vast universe of uncertainty that exists when our established beliefs are challenged by the inexplicable.

The Plot: Desert Mysteries and Divine Questions

The novel centers on Sister Mary Agnes, a novitiate who arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, just after a strange craft has reportedly crashed in the nearby desert. As the town buzzes with rumors of flying saucers and government cover-ups, she meets Betty Campbell, a teenage girl who inexplicably develops stigmata-like wounds whenever she comes into contact with fragments of the mysterious craft. Meanwhile, Harvey Day, a handyman working at the monastery, harbors secrets about what he witnessed during the military's recovery mission to the crash site.

As Sister Mary Agnes attempts to navigate her role as an extern sister—the monastery's liaison to the outside world—she finds herself increasingly drawn to Harvey and compelled by Betty's affliction, which the local bishop and priest dismiss as fabrication. When Mary Agnes witnesses Betty's bleeding hands for herself, her carefully constructed religious worldview begins to crumble, forcing her to question the church she has dedicated her life to and opening her to possibilities beyond what her faith has prepared her to accept.

Characters: Seekers in a Desert of Uncertainty

Hawker excels at creating characters who embody the struggle between institutional expectation and personal truth:

- Sister Mary Agnes/Patricia Walton: Her journey from obedient nun to questioning seeker forms the emotional core of the novel. Initially seeking refuge in religious life to escape her past "sins," she eventually rediscovers her pre-convent identity as Patricia when confronted with truths that transcend religious doctrine.

- Betty Campbell: A bright, ambitious teenager whose mysterious stigmata makes her an outcast in her own community. Her determination to escape Roswell and understand her condition drives much of the narrative's tension.

- Harvey Day: The handyman who witnessed something impossible inside the crashed craft—a space that defied physical laws by being "bigger on the inside." His blue-ticket discharge from the Army and subsequent ostracism mirror the novel's themes of institutional rejection of uncomfortable truths.

- Roger Campbell: Betty's father, a military man whose encounter with the crash wreckage leaves him paralyzed by fear for his family's safety, representing the era's cold war anxieties.
Themes: The Sacred Mystery of Not Knowing

Hawker weaves several powerful themes throughout the narrative:

- Faith versus Truth: The central tension lies in what happens when institutional faith collides with personal experience. As Mary Agnes observes, "If you follow the path God gives you—if you hold to it with all your faith—then it will lead you to your true destination."

- The Fallibility of Authority: Through the Army's cover-up and the Church's dismissal of Betty's condition, Hawker explores how authority figures often reject evidence that challenges their power structures.

- The Sacred Nature of Mystery: Perhaps most powerfully, Hawker suggests that not knowing—embracing mystery rather than certainty—might be the truest form of faith. As Betty reflects, "God doesn't want us to know. He doesn't want us to know anything."

- Finding Identity Through Uncertainty: Both Mary Agnes and Betty must journey through uncertainty to discover their authentic selves, suggesting that questioning is essential to genuine self-knowledge.

Writing Style: Luminous and Contemplative

Hawker's prose shines with a luminous quality that perfectly captures the desert setting and spiritual themes. Her writing balances several strengths:

- Atmospheric Description: The New Mexico landscape comes alive through sensory details—"the rich, comforting smell of her wife's cooking," "the acrid, burnt odor among the desert sage," "the crisp, blue light" of a winter morning.

- Internal Conflict: Hawker excels at rendering the psychological turmoil of characters questioning their foundational beliefs. Mary Agnes's gradual unraveling of faith is particularly well-executed.

- Pacing: The novel alternates between contemplative moments and narrative tension, creating a reading experience that mirrors the characters' journeys through certainty and doubt.

- Historical Grounding: While taking creative liberties, Hawker meticulously researches the Roswell incident, weaving actual newspaper headlines and witness accounts into her narrative.

Historical Context: More Than Just Flying Saucers

What elevates "The Stars and Their Light" above typical UFO stories is Hawker's careful attention to the post-World War II context:

- The emerging Cold War and anxieties about Soviet technological superiority
- The role of women in American society as they sought education and career opportunities beyond traditional roles
- The rigid social structures of small-town America in the late 1940s
- The unquestioned authority of institutions like the military and the church

By embedding the Roswell incident within these historical realities, Hawker creates a story that feels authentic to its time period while exploring themes that remain relevant today.

Strengths and Weaknesses

What Works Brilliantly:

- The intertwining of UFO phenomena with religious experience, suggesting both stem from humanity's encounter with the truly unknowable
- The character development of Mary Agnes/Patricia, whose journey feels emotionally authentic
- The respectful treatment of both religious faith and skepticism, avoiding easy answers
- The restrained, mature handling of the Roswell incident itself

Where It Falls Short:

- Occasional pacing issues in the middle sections when the narrative shifts between multiple character perspectives
- Some secondary characters, particularly Jim Lucero, sometimes feel more like vehicles for theme than fully realized individuals
- The epilogue wraps things up a bit too neatly, potentially undercutting the novel's embrace of mystery
- Readers expecting a more conventional science fiction treatment of the Roswell crash might be disappointed by the deliberately ambiguous approach

Final Verdict: A Luminous Exploration of Faith and Mystery

"The Stars and Their Light" succeeds as both historical fiction and spiritual exploration. Hawker has crafted a thoughtful novel that respects the mystery at its core while offering profound insights into how we navigate uncertainty. Rather than trying to explain the unexplainable, she invites readers to experience the transformative power of acknowledging what we cannot know.

For readers who appreciate historical fiction that ventures beyond factual recreation into deeper philosophical territory, this novel offers rich rewards. As Betty observes near the novel's end, sometimes "the only way to see into the heart of the unknown was to walk the path of mystery." In "The Stars and Their Light," Hawker provides a compelling guide for just such a journey.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first part of the book is about the flying saucer crashing near Roswell, New Mexico. One of the soldiers sent to the scene secretly keeps a piece of debris. After this, the story changes to a character named Betty, whose father has a piece of that debris. She touches it and thereafter suffers from stigmata, usually attributed to saints and their immersion in faith. Another character is Sister Mary Agnes who suffers from lagging faith. Let me just say, the author strongly rejects religious belief, even pontificating that evil is just something humanity has made up. And she waits until the end of the book to spring it on you. Along with a nun jumping in bed with another character, leaving her habit on the floor. I’m speechless. You only need to watch the news to be confronted with evil on a daily basis. It would be nice if it didn’t exist, but that is just a fairy tale. This book isn’t about Roswell - it’s about Crazy Town.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique work of historical fiction which blends an event from the past with science fiction. The story is set in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 and revolves around the crash of a mysterious object. Rather than focusing on “space aliens” the novel explores how mystery and faith impact our lives.

[Deb Kiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still processing this amazing book. You think it is about a UFO that crashing in Roswell in 1947, but it is so much more than that. It will make you think and wonder about themes and topics you thought you had opinions about, but now, time to rethink. A young girl, Betty, touches a piece of the ship that had crashed and experiences stigmata. Only her two best friends and a young nun believe her as the rest of the town thinks she is lying and shun her. The nun, Sister Agnes, has recently come from Chicago to help open a monastery in Roswell. She has questions about her faith and has to make some life changing decisions. When the army went to visit the crash site, one of the soldiers had to look inside the ship and his life has never been the same. I was intrigued by this story line because it makes you wonder about the world beyond ours.
In the author notes, she explains this book was inspired by her experience of something she saw in the sky that couldn't easily be explained when she was in her 20s. I love books that have that personal connection. These notes are not to be missed in detailing the book and background.
If you enjoy historical fiction and are looking for a book that is a little different and that will make you think, I highly recommend this one!
Rating is 4.5 stars.
#TheStarsandTheirLight #NetGalley #historicalfiction
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Robin Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

From 5 Stars (Blackbird) to 2 Stars

Ms. Hawker’s Stars and Their Light left me eye-rolling, unfulfilled and baffled over this story coming from the same person who penned One for the Blackbird. The author possessed some meaningful observations while drawing worthy conclusions over real faith v. ordered institutions but she failed to make an interesting novel; bluntly stated, there were no meat on these bones.

[Star Gater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read and review The Stars and Their Light on NetGalley.

Published: 04/01/25

Stars: 2.5

Hawker writes a thought provoking, slow moving, confusing story. There are lots of sparks: faith, aliens, Roswell, and criminals. Family dynamics are the typical fiction trope. While I always hope for something new and different, slow and unexplained are not what I'm seeking. This is a read and decide for yourself book. Does the synopsis speak to you?

I'm not encouraging more pages, however I don't feel like there were explanations for true events. If you are not familiar with Roswell in the 40s this book will not mean anything to you. I understood some of the conversations and insinuations from personal studies and references all my life. Unlike the Catholic dialogues and references where I took her at her word. My viewing every episode of The Twilight Zone at minimum 20 times gave me a UFO starting point.

The story had a lot of potential. The execution was meh for me. I will look for other works by the author.

[Peg Schoenfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Area 51 is the backdrop for multiple crises in the life of a military witness, a nun and a student as each seeks to discover the truth about the incident and their own truth. Compelling story and characters.

[Kathleen Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Search of the Unknown

Some things in life cannot be explained. A crash in the Roswell Dessert has been hidden all these years and this story tries to make sense of it. I found it to be fascinating search by Olivia Hawker.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favorite book by Olivia Hawker. I never really felt connected to the characters and there was so much going on in the story, it came across as somewhat disjointed. I was interested in the history around the Roswell incident but weaving the story of a nunnery coming to town into this history didn't work for me.

I have loved this author's writing in the past, but it seemed flat and common in this book by comparison.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a gifted ebook copy of The Stars and Their Light through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Stars and Their Light is an intriguing historical fiction story set in Roswell, NM, during the late 1940s, when a UFO was reported to have crashed in the area. Roger and Harvey are both called on to visit the crash site, and are affected by what they see in different ways. Roger brings home a small piece of metal from the site, and when it comes in contact with his daughter Betty, it causes an unexplained physical reaction. Soon after, the local church becomes involved in Betty’s life and Sister Mary Agnes befriends the girl. Mary Agnes has always struggled with her faith, and used the church as a way to hide from the choices she’s made in her life. But her encounter with Betty makes her question her commitment to the leaders of the church and what it means to follow her heart, and becoming the woman she was before she joined the order.

This was my first book by Olivia Hawker and I really enjoyed her writing. The combination of historical fiction, science fiction, and religious beliefs all make for a very compelling read. I liked that the book didn’t focus on the crash itself, but more on the effects it had on the people in the story.

Each of the main characters (Roger, Harvey, Betty, and Mary Agnes) were all well written, and they all experience different reactions to the crash. Hawker does a great job emotionally connecting the reader to each of the characters through their resulting coping mechanisms following the crash, and how each of their lives are turned upside down by the incident.

There is also a great Author’s Note at the end of the book that gives more information on Hawker’s own UFO sighting, and more historical documentation on the events that took place in Roswell during the 1947 crash. I definitely recommend not skipping over this part of the book.

If you are looking for a great read that explores the mysteries behind unexplained phenomenon and the complexities of its effects on everyday people and those in the government and military, then I would definitely recommend The Stars and Their Light.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This woman can tell a story. Kind of a fun book about Roswell, stigmata, a nun, faith, questions, and conspiracies. Honestly, that sums it up! So unique (to me). 5/5 stars.

[Trinity Row · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 3⭐️
Spice Rating: 🔥🔥- Fade to Black
Language Rating: !
Reader Age: Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Content Considerations: WWII

This book has a super interesting premise and I love how the author decided to tell the story through dated entries. This book also features a variety of POVs which really helped give the story dimension.
However, I struggled with the pacing of this book. It felt like a lot of build up to no where. There was very little resolution and the ending felt quite rushed compared to how slowly the rest of the story unfolded.

[Mary Vogelsong · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is well-written by a veteran novelist.
If you are offended by books that bash organized religion, deny the existence of God, and posit a universalism belief system, you will not like this book. The author explains that a UFO sighting in her college days gave her a new perspective, causing her to leave her association with organized religion. She says UFO sightings are equated with religious experiences.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and powerful novel!! As many reviews already mentioned, once started I could not stop reading it. Based on real events and some real people, the storyline which is meticulously researched brings about experiences with unexpected phenomenons. Following accounts of what fell in New Mexico in 1947, we witness the influence of the unexplained (or unexplainable, as mentioned by the author) on ordinary people, Army people and religious characters. I found it particularly fascinating the parallels between the unexplained and religious faith ... Very cleverly done, the plot is very convincing and definitely thought provoking! A great novel!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique historical/science fiction that surrounds the very interesting historical event of the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico crash that the US Army so quickly and strategically covered up.

This novel is basically a novel about expecting the unexpected and how we may not know why or what exactly the universe does or anything.

Thank you to author Olivia Hawker and publisher Lake Union Publishing for the physical advanced copy. All opinions in this review are my own.

🛸 👽 🛸 👽 🛸 👽 🛸 👽 🛸 👽 🛸 👽 🛸 👽

[lexactuallyreads [surviving off vibes ftm] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Olivia Hawker and Brilliance Audio/Publishing for the ALC of the audiobook!

The Stars and Their Light: A Novel by Olivia Hawker

"What kind of disturbance would it take to blow apart this mass delusion of nice, ordinary, secure American life? Not much."

To essentially echo other statements, this is not the usual, run-of-the-mill historical fiction. I'm not too sure as to the why regarding the negative feedback as if it's not stated plain-as-day what The Stars and Their Light is about... This is historical fiction with elements of science fiction. Honestly, though, what would you think of first if someone mentioned Roswell, New Mexico? Aliens, of course. Well, I mean, allegedly... So, say we transport ourselves back in time to 1947, when an alleged UFO crash lands on the outskirts of town, you would have to ask yourself how these people would act. Olivia Hawker nailed that one. The historical fiction portion is accurately portrayed: a stark presence of faith and religion, bolstered by the sexism, post-World War stress, and hysteria couple nicely with the untimely (allegedly) extraterrestrial visitor.


"The distance between Earth and the nearest star was greater Betty could comprehend. She knew that the light from some of those cool, bright points in the blackness took thousands of years to cross the void of space. Millions of years. Scales of time that made her dizzy. Evidence of a vastness beyond this small, fragile planet. That turned her into a pinpoint of improbability... Yet she found it easier to stare into that mystery than look into the bright divinity of an ordinary night, with its ordinary grief... The stars and their light were very far away, but she could name them and count them. They were here with her, in the realm of the living, where everything was sacred. Even the unknown."


Alright, I'll be honest. I had to sit with myself for this one for a bit... I struggle with the theological and stories related to it. After hearing the author's note, and her story with witness something otherworldly and questioning her faith, I felt a little safer. As someone who also questioned everything, struggled with her faith and left the church and any idea of it behind as a result, I feel the author's intentions fully here. It was honestly genius to have the two main characters experience the same type of growth and realization, just inverse to each other. It was a clever move to have one begin in the faith, only to question and grow out of it, versus another's beginning lack of faith only leading to her need to know more and dive fully into it.


"She wanted no bill of good-standing for an institution that held no truth for her. Patricia's God, the god of love, needed neither petitions or dispensations. He required only the sincerest effort of an honest heart."

"If they're so far away, but we can see them, then they must be..."
"-HUGE, bigger than God. That's why I like to look at them. It's proof, isn't it? That some things are just too big for us to understand.""

"Their God might be nothing more than a comforting fiction, but some stories were worth telling. Even when you knew they weren't true."


I really enjoyed this story. All the characters experience an arc of some sort, which allows for them to be fully realized and the story to come full circle. The stigmata experience is something I was fully unfamiliar with and felt like, as a reader, I walked away learning something from all of it. I would recommend it to readers who especially like Historical Fiction and implore those who like Sci-Fi *elements* to hold on because it all ends up being worth it.

A final note of praise is for Jackie Zebrowski, our narrator, whom single-handedly kept engaged from beginning to end. The infusion of characterization, pacing and articulation allowed for the smoothest and most engaging historical fiction adventure I've ever been on. Well done!

"The only place left to go was forward, into a remade world. Into this bright unfolding future. A future where women took their rightful places shoulder-to-shoulder with the men, and didn't need to rely on their fathers or husbands for protection."

[Ed Rabinowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest novel from Olivia Hawker has something for everyone. There’s historical fiction, romance, religion, the military, even unidentified flying objects.
The problem, in my opinion, is in trying to be something for everyone the book fails to land a solid punch in any one area. Kind of like my definition of multi-tasking: doing a lot of things at once, and none of them exceptionally well.
The setting is Roswell, New Mexico in July 1947. Lieutenant Colonel Roger Campbell returns home from the site of a crash in the desert; what is officially being deemed a downed weather balloon. But Campbell knows better, because even though he is sworn to secrecy, he took a piece of the mysterious downed craft with him. And when he shows it to his 16-year-old daughter Betty, who touches it, she is immediately inflicted with a stigmata – appearance on the hands of the wounds suffered by Christ.
We soon learn that Roger’s close friend, radioman Harvey Day, who was also summoned to the crash site, knows even more. Ordered to inspect the downed craft up close, Day pokes his head inside a crack in the sphere. He’s never the same.
Into all of this comes Sister Mary Agnes who, after spending the last twelve years in solitude in a church in Chicago, has been summoned along with a group of nuns to establish a monastery in Roswell. Backstory helps us learn that Mary Agnes used to be Patricia Walton. But an incident early in life left her believing that devoting herself to God is the penance she must pay for her indiscretion.
Paths soon start to intersect. Harvey leaves the military because he cannot ignore what he saw. Taking a temporary job repairing an old farmhouse to become the new monastery, he soon becomes involved with Mary Agnes. Who in turn interacts with Betty who has become an outcast due to the repeated appearance of the stigmata, in particular in front of her peers at a local sock hop. Roger (Betty’s father) suddenly becomes super overprotective of his daughter and forbids her from leaving home to attend college.
And of course, the military throws its weight around, threatening death and destruction to anyone who so much as breathes a word about the crash in the desert being anything other than a downed weather balloon.
With no clear focus – Is this a mystery about other life in the universe? Or a questioning of science versus religion? Or a coming-of-age and challenging relationship between a father and daughter? – the narrative tends to meander quite a bit, almost slowing to a crawl midway through. The ending is also a bit on the hokey side.
I have read a lot worse, but I’ve also read much better where the plot and/or storyline was clear. And even if there were twists and turns scattered about, the narrative moved forward with a clear destination. In my opinion, “The Stars and Their Light” lost its way trying to be all things for all people.
Just three stars for Hawker’s latest novel.
Check out all my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Roswell, New Mexico, the mystery of the unknown grips a sheltered novitiate in a haunting story about fate, agency, and faith.

In November 1948, a small group of Chicago Poor Clares went to Roswell, New Mexico, responding to the urgent invitation of Archbishop Edwin Byrne of Santa Fe to found a new monastery in his ancient and historic archdiocese. He wanted “the praying nuns,” of the cloistered Poor Clares to encircle his vast archdiocese with the arms of their lives of prayer and penitence.These young girls and women flocked into the little farmhouse-turned-monastery.
The Poor Clares' founder, Clare, was from an affluent and well-known Italian family.But she felt a calling from God, and met with Francis of Assisi, and helped him establish his Second Franciscan Order called the cloistered Poor Ladies.

By 1947, America had launched thousands of top-secret Project Mogul balloons carrying devices to listen for Soviet atomic tests. On June 4, researchers at Alamogordo Army Air Field in New Mexico launched a long train of these balloons; they lost contact with the balloons and balloon-borne equipment within 17 miles (27 km) of W.W. "Mac" Brazel's ranch near Corona, New Mexico, where a balloon subsequently crashed. Later that month, Brazel discovered tinfoil, rubber, tape, and thin wooden beams scattered across several acres of his ranch.Brazel drove to Roswell, NM, and informed Sheriff George Wilcox of the debris he had found.Wilcox called Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF), where the 509th Bomb group of the Eighth Air Force, resided.On July 8, RAAF public information officer Walter Haut issued a press release stating that the military had recovered a "flying disc" near Roswell.Media interest in the case peaked as there was a flying disk craze in 1947 due to pilot Kenneth Arnold's story of witnessing disc-shaped objects dubbed as Flying Saucers. But the US Army identified the material as pieces of a weather balloon. However, this didn't stop speculation and conspiracy theories about extraterrestrial life and government cover-ups.Some witnesses claimed to have seen unusual debris and even alien bodies, while others disputed these claims.

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1947 a strange object fell from the sky in Roswell, New Mexico. There were strange sightings as well - things that moved in ways that none of the known aircraft of the day could do, and would then disappear. The locals thought maybe it was a spy balloon from arch enemy Russia, but local military officials reassured everyone that it was just a weather balloon mishap. But there are witnesses to the crash, and some residents have other evidence that it wasn't a weather balloon. And then, teenager Betty Campbell experiences the stigmata (bleeding from the hands and feet in the same places that Christ bled from the crucifiction). No one can explain it, and locals are convinced she is making things up. Mary Agnes, a nun at a newly created convent in town, is convinced that Betty's experience is real, and asks local clergy to meet Betty and investigate. Mary Agnes has a history of her own; as a young woman she fled to the monastic life feeling that she was fleeing sin, and incapable of living a sin free life if she wasn't in a convent. After the local clergy reject all the evidence of Betty's stigmata, and is is ostracised and rejected by the local community, Mary Agnes begins to question her decision to leave the real world. Harvey, the handyman at the convent, is also a victim of the sighting. What he saw the night of the crash caused him to resign his commision in the military, after being threatened with a court martial or worse if he told anyone what he saw. Nobody knows that he has a piece of the craft that crashed. Betty's boyfriend Jim, a young man hoping to follow his father's path as a career military man, also has a piece of the craft. Could those pieces have anything to do with Betty's stigmata?
Beautifully written, well researched and thoroughly compelling, The Stars and Their Light asks questions we've all asked. What's really out there? Have beings from outer space been here? The historical notes that Olivia Hawker includes add context and heft to the story. A really great book!

[Riddhi Attarde · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stars and Their Light by Olivia Hawker had a super interesting premise, but honestly, it didn’t quite work for me. The story is set in 1947, right after the Roswell UFO incident, and focuses on Sister Mary Agnes, who moves to Roswell to set up a monastery. There, she meets Betty, a girl affected by the crash, and Harvey, a handyman who saw it all go down. It’s a mix of history, mystery, and a bit of religion, which sounds cool, but I found it hard to stay invested.

One of the things I liked about the book was the setting. Hawker does a great job capturing the post-WWII atmosphere and the buzz around the Roswell crash. The whole town feels on edge, and you can sense the tension between faith and the unknown, which is probably the book’s biggest strength. The backdrop of the 1940s gives the story a unique vibe, and I thought the historical context was well done.

That said, the characters didn’t really click for me. Sister Mary Agnes has this internal struggle between sticking to her religious beliefs and questioning what she’s been taught, but her journey felt slow and repetitive. I wanted to connect more with Betty and Harvey, but they didn’t seem fully developed either. Their relationships with Sister Mary Agnes felt a little shallow, and I didn’t find myself caring much about where their stories were going.

The pacing was another issue. It started off interesting with all the mystery around the crash, but then it just slowed down too much. The middle part of the book really dragged, and it felt like the story lost some of its energy. By the time it picked back up, I wasn’t as invested anymore, which was kind of disappointing.

This book had a lot of potential, especially with the mix of historical fiction and the Roswell incident, but the slow pacing and lack of character depth kept it from being as engaging as I’d hoped. If you’re into historical fiction with a hint of mystery, it might still be worth a read, but for me, it fell a bit flat.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stars and Their Light is a story about the response of a small town to the rumored landing of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico in the summer of 1947.
Four people, Harvey Day, a former Army radiographer, Sister May Agnes, the extern sister of the newly opened Poor Clares monastery, Jim Lucerno, a high school senior who dreams of entering CalTech to honor the memory his war-hero father, and Betty Campbell, a bright young girl who wants to study astrophysics, find their lives disrupted by the events of "that singular, strange year when a flying saucer had crashed to the earth."
Although it deals with something that is normally the subject of science fiction, this book is firmly rooted in history. It is, also, oddly, a deeply spiritual book, in which one character experiences stigmata, another must reevaluate her entire adult life, and one, whose life has been totally disrupted, discovers "a deep well of holy awe for the senseless and the unexplained."
The first few chapters didn't really grab me because they devote too much space to the fears of a narrow-minded man who allows anxiety to make him a tyrant. I found myself annoyed by this person's lack of self-awareness. A similar lack of self-awareness almost set me against another character who ended up being much braver than I'd expected. Before too long, however, I found myself enthralled with the story and very concerned about the fates of the main characters.
Readers who are firmly devoted to either organized religion, the military, or the government may have trouble enjoying this book as it takes a very antiestablishment stance. It also does wrap things up a bit too neatly, although I grew so fond of these people that I couldn't begrudge them their happiness.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.