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Sun Is Sky
Born to three generations of women burdened with heartache, can Penny finally break the cycle?
Filled with heady meanderings and sultry secrets, Sun is Sky remarkably captures the spirit of a slumbering town in the Deep South of America.
As a young teen, Penny’s Hill’s fractious relationship with her mother causes her to be shipped off to live with her maternal grandmother in the town of Picayune, Mississippi. Under her Gram's care, Penny settles into her new rural life, but soon family secrets and sudden tragedies force her to face life head on.
Her beloved Gram's death shatters any illusions Penny held about her grandmother's legacy and she is left to decide whether she will accept the responsibility and step into Gram's role as the custodian of secrets for the townspeople.
Navigating the trauma familial, sexual and romantic relationships can cause to individual and community psyches, and with the reckoning of many reconciliations, Penny comes to appreciate the power of self-worth, the ability it possesses to heal a person, and the extent to which we are incapacitated without it.
Filled with heady meanderings and sultry secrets, Sun is Sky remarkably captures the spirit of a slumbering town in the Deep South of America.
As a young teen, Penny’s Hill’s fractious relationship with her mother causes her to be shipped off to live with her maternal grandmother in the town of Picayune, Mississippi. Under her Gram's care, Penny settles into her new rural life, but soon family secrets and sudden tragedies force her to face life head on.
Her beloved Gram's death shatters any illusions Penny held about her grandmother's legacy and she is left to decide whether she will accept the responsibility and step into Gram's role as the custodian of secrets for the townspeople.
Navigating the trauma familial, sexual and romantic relationships can cause to individual and community psyches, and with the reckoning of many reconciliations, Penny comes to appreciate the power of self-worth, the ability it possesses to heal a person, and the extent to which we are incapacitated without it.
- GenresFictionContemporary
434 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 2020
3 people are currently reading
993 people want to read
About the author
Jedah Mayberry
3 books32 followersJEDAH MAYBERRY was raised in southeastern CT, the backdrop for his fiction debut. The Unheralded King of Preston Plains Middle won Grand Prize in Red City Review’s 2015 Book Awards and was named 1st in Multi-Cultural Fiction for 2014 by the Texas Association of Authors. In 2018, he completed a Hurston-Wright Foundation Workshop in Fiction, used in part to revise the manuscript that resulted in a second book, Sun Is Sky, published by Jacaranda Books in spring 2020. His work has appeared at Linden Avenue, Brittle Paper, Black Elephant, Akashic Fri-SciFi Series, and A Gathering Together. Jedah resides with his wife and daughters in Austin, TX.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 6, 2022
3,5 stars
December 7, 2020
Penny's mother ships her off to live with her maternal grandmother in the town of Picayune, Mississippi. There, Penny immediately falls in love with a boy and suffers a painful loss. After her grandmother dies, she takes over Gran's role in that small community.
When I picked up this book, I thought it's going to be a southern Gothic tale of life and death in a small, mysterious town, but it turned out to be mostly about love. The main character keeps falling in love again and again. Maybe it's the asexual in me awakening, but most of this instalove (or instalust) didn't make much sense. The main character kept falling for men just because she met them once, and they were nice to her. And I was kind of disappointed and underwhelmed when the town's secret was revealed. Sure, the writing was good, really beautiful, but the story just didn't feel worth it.
If you like stories about people having a very boisterous romantic/sexual life with bittersweet endings, you'll probably enjoy this book. Otherwise, read something else.
When I picked up this book, I thought it's going to be a southern Gothic tale of life and death in a small, mysterious town, but it turned out to be mostly about love. The main character keeps falling in love again and again. Maybe it's the asexual in me awakening, but most of this instalove (or instalust) didn't make much sense. The main character kept falling for men just because she met them once, and they were nice to her. And I was kind of disappointed and underwhelmed when the town's secret was revealed. Sure, the writing was good, really beautiful, but the story just didn't feel worth it.
If you like stories about people having a very boisterous romantic/sexual life with bittersweet endings, you'll probably enjoy this book. Otherwise, read something else.
September 24, 2020
Sun is Sky is about the life of Penny Hill who goes to live with her Grandmother in Picayune, Mississippi.
I really enjoyed reading the raw and tumultuous relationship between the three generations of women. There is a mixture of different writing techniques used but it flows beautifully and lyrically, I couldn’t stop reading.
I will definitely be looking out for more from Jedah Mayberry
I really enjoyed reading the raw and tumultuous relationship between the three generations of women. There is a mixture of different writing techniques used but it flows beautifully and lyrically, I couldn’t stop reading.
I will definitely be looking out for more from Jedah Mayberry
March 25, 2022
This was the #readsoullit pick for February 2022 and I’m trying to read more of the selections. My book arrived late so here we are in March.
This is a Bildungsroman set in Picayune, Mississippi where Penny Hill has been banished by her mother after a series of troubling events that transpired in New York. It is clear that this small community holds many secrets and that this family has problems in each generation that grows worse. This premise sounds great and there were moments when this book was dazzling. Unfortunately, the writing was too fixated on certain metaphors that I am yet to fully grasp. There is the recurring mention of sunset and of the moon but there was no build up of the day’s events that lead to understanding it’s importance. Which leads to the world building, or lack thereof. It was never clear until near the end what the timeframe of this novel occupied except near the end. And there was no clear picture of what really happens in Picayune. What the reader has is the events as seen through Penny’s eyes, written way above her level of communication.
This book is for those who love very flowery writing style and don’t mind a meandering plot. For character driven reader, this one will not fully satisfy. Pity, because that cover is so beautiful.
This is a Bildungsroman set in Picayune, Mississippi where Penny Hill has been banished by her mother after a series of troubling events that transpired in New York. It is clear that this small community holds many secrets and that this family has problems in each generation that grows worse. This premise sounds great and there were moments when this book was dazzling. Unfortunately, the writing was too fixated on certain metaphors that I am yet to fully grasp. There is the recurring mention of sunset and of the moon but there was no build up of the day’s events that lead to understanding it’s importance. Which leads to the world building, or lack thereof. It was never clear until near the end what the timeframe of this novel occupied except near the end. And there was no clear picture of what really happens in Picayune. What the reader has is the events as seen through Penny’s eyes, written way above her level of communication.
This book is for those who love very flowery writing style and don’t mind a meandering plot. For character driven reader, this one will not fully satisfy. Pity, because that cover is so beautiful.
June 2, 2020
Really enjoyed the intricacies of this family drama set mostly within Picayune, Mississippi. Didn’t realise that it takes place within the last 20 years- while reading thought it was 50 or 60 years ago. Was also surprised that the author was male, as he expertly covered the complications of mother and daughter turmoil. Part of Jacaranda Books 20 in 2020, definitely worth picking up.
May 29, 2022
I really couldn't get into this one, it was a real slog for me to get to the end. Most of the time I didn't have a clue what was really going on, and at the end I was left wondering what was the point of this novel.
I found the premise interesting, but struggled with the writing style which seemed unnecessarily complicated and overblown.
The narration as well as the dialogue seemed really inauthentic, everyone was pontificating and dispensing sage life advice at every turn. Absolutely no-one speaks this way.
And there was an overabundance of cliches and metaphors in the descriptive text.
I wish that I understood what the author was trying to do, I felt like he didn't pull this off, and I was left wishing that someone else had written this, and made the story live up to its potential.
I found the premise interesting, but struggled with the writing style which seemed unnecessarily complicated and overblown.
The narration as well as the dialogue seemed really inauthentic, everyone was pontificating and dispensing sage life advice at every turn. Absolutely no-one speaks this way.
And there was an overabundance of cliches and metaphors in the descriptive text.
I wish that I understood what the author was trying to do, I felt like he didn't pull this off, and I was left wishing that someone else had written this, and made the story live up to its potential.
January 7, 2021
I was hesitant to start because I was too ensnared by the front cover which is just gorgeous!
Once I got into it I was quickly drawn into the storyline of Penny Hill and her grandma who live in Mississippi. I was unable to out it down as I was taken into their lives, the descriptive language that is given is unbelievable as we are given insight to their relationship.
This was not like my usual fantasy reads, it was more of a fiction read and it is always nice to break away from a genre that you favour every now and then. I do believe that this book is quite underrated and more should know of it and read. It was a quick and easy read that I was able to finish in a day.
Once I got into it I was quickly drawn into the storyline of Penny Hill and her grandma who live in Mississippi. I was unable to out it down as I was taken into their lives, the descriptive language that is given is unbelievable as we are given insight to their relationship.
This was not like my usual fantasy reads, it was more of a fiction read and it is always nice to break away from a genre that you favour every now and then. I do believe that this book is quite underrated and more should know of it and read. It was a quick and easy read that I was able to finish in a day.
July 24, 2020
We had the pleasure of speaking to Jedah regarding his passion for writing, how the characters were created, etc. We thoroughly enjoyed the read and the conversation! The story of Penny and the vicious family cycle of broken relationships, tragedy, pain was a story that seemed to resonate with me. Unfolding Penny's life, especially the relationship with her grandmother was sad at times but touching and real. There were definitely great nuggets of wisdom that you could take away as the characters expressed their challenging experiences of family drama, heartache and misfortune. A powerful read indeed.
July 27, 2021
Oof, I felt really let down by this book - thought we were getting a 'women through the generations' story when what we ended up getting was 'women making a series of questionable choices about dudes also there is an entire community based around wife swapping also no one is capable of talking like normal people seriously why does everything have to be some giant speech argh'
The best bit of this book was the bit where it ended, lol I kid I kid, it was the bit where the married love interest's grandfather was talking about racehorses.
The best bit of this book was the bit where it ended, lol I kid I kid, it was the bit where the married love interest's grandfather was talking about racehorses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2021
I love stories spanning multiple generations and this didn't disappoint!
Sun is Sky follows Penny Hill, a teenager sent to live with her grandmother in Mississippi by her mother. Under her Gram's care, Penny settles into her new role life, but soon family secrets and sudden tragedies force her to face life head-on.
My favourite aspect of this book was the relationship between Penny and her Gram. It was written beautifully, and I loved experiencing Penny's growth as a character under her grandmother's care. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the author is male, as the female characters were all written report were all written perfectly in my eyes. He did a fantastic job at writing a complex mother-daughter relationship. Penny's story was endearing yet heartbreaking at times. There were moments when I felt so attached to her that I couldn't put the book down. The only negative that I took from this was the romance. I don't know whether it's me and my heart of steel, but everything felt too quick and insta-love for me!
A really good read with a stunning cover to match. Definitely recommend picking this one up!
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Sun is Sky follows Penny Hill, a teenager sent to live with her grandmother in Mississippi by her mother. Under her Gram's care, Penny settles into her new role life, but soon family secrets and sudden tragedies force her to face life head-on.
My favourite aspect of this book was the relationship between Penny and her Gram. It was written beautifully, and I loved experiencing Penny's growth as a character under her grandmother's care. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the author is male, as the female characters were all written report were all written perfectly in my eyes. He did a fantastic job at writing a complex mother-daughter relationship. Penny's story was endearing yet heartbreaking at times. There were moments when I felt so attached to her that I couldn't put the book down. The only negative that I took from this was the romance. I don't know whether it's me and my heart of steel, but everything felt too quick and insta-love for me!
A really good read with a stunning cover to match. Definitely recommend picking this one up!
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
April 1, 2021
First time I’ve enjoyed a female lead book written by a man in a loooong time, this was beautifully written.
March 4, 2022
This was the February 2022 #readsoullit readalong selection. There were many things about the book I enjoyed. The setting was one of the things I enjoyed. It is set primarily in the small, Southern town of Picayune, Mississippi. I am from the South and enjoy books set there. The memorable characters are another aspect of the book I enjoyed. The characters were all participating in the open secrets of the town. The writing of the book was very descriptive and easy flowing. I found myself being able to read through the pages fairly quickly.
One thing I didn’t enjoy about the book was the length. It’s no secret, I am not a fan of big books. When I got to around page 330, I felt the book should start to wrap up but I had 100 pages to go. The book could have used tighter editing to condense some of the dialogue and descriptions.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Mr. Mayberry has another published book and forthcoming work that I plan to read.
One thing I didn’t enjoy about the book was the length. It’s no secret, I am not a fan of big books. When I got to around page 330, I felt the book should start to wrap up but I had 100 pages to go. The book could have used tighter editing to condense some of the dialogue and descriptions.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Mr. Mayberry has another published book and forthcoming work that I plan to read.
September 18, 2020
This read is formatted into a mixture of various writing techniques such as a flow of eloquence, lyrical, picturesque style, yet swish in with vague empathatic, ornate kind of writing...sounds confusing but that's truthfully my interpretation of this read. Click on the link to hear the rest of my review: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/4096...
March 31, 2022
This was...unusual... I spent the whole book unable to decide if I liked it or not. It was interesting and terribly sad, but the ending gave a bit of hope and resolve and I thought it was a well told story.
The prose was a bit different which made it harder to get through at parts, but it was very melodic and lent itself to the story.
The prose was a bit different which made it harder to get through at parts, but it was very melodic and lent itself to the story.
August 7, 2023
I really was not impressed with this book at all. It took me a while to get through it due to boredom, I didn’t give up though as I always like to give a book a fair chance and not throw the towel in prematurely but even on completion I honestly can say I would not recommend it. There is no real story at all and it is extremely boring.
February 18, 2022
This book started really well but it lost me a bit in the middle. I kept going though and am happy that I got to the end.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews