Xixi Tian's All the Way Around the Sun is a poignant and engaging narrative about a girl, Stella, grieving the loss of her only brother and feeling alone in her grief. The pressures to keep up her grades and finish her college applications seem both meaningless and overwhelming.
Stella and her older brother, Sam, had lived in their native China, being raised by their grandmother, for the first eight years of her life while their parents established themselves in America. When they arrive in America their parents are strangers to them. Sam is the one who can best live up to their great expectations, especially when he is accepted to Harvard...
...Where he dies in his dorm his first year...
...Nobody is there to help Stella cope with her loss. Her parents don't talk about the family tragedy. They haven't told her grandmother about Sam's death. And just before her second semester of senior year the family moves across the country to California where she doesn't know anyone...
...except Alan who was her best friend back in the Midwest until he seemingly ditched her...
...Now Stella's parents are pushing her to get her college applications in on time. Unable to take her on a California colleges tour, guess who they enlist to be her escort.
The truth is Stella is afraid to go to college. Sam did and look what happened.
On a purrrsonal note, March break is drawing to an end. It's featured marginally to truly crappy weather. Of the excursions I've planned for the week, I should be able to pull off one tomorrow--a field trip to Hannaford with a side trip to Goodwill. I've mostly stayed to home with precious Tobago. I've made two trips to Orono Public Library and visited Amber to pick up my advance readers copy of the second book in her Little White Flowers trilogy which is scheduled to drop this June. Of course I'll review it way before.
Amusing story: Eugene picked up some groceries after work yesterday. He had these veggie Cheerios. WTF? I expect cereal to be sweet or neutral, not tasting like beets or broccoli. It says it's fruit flavored, just contains veggie powder. I'm willing to try it. I'll let you know what it's like.
Yesterday was drivers' appreciation day on the community connector bus system. For me every day I get on a bus 🚌 is drivers' appreciation 💗 day and I show it with candy.
A great big shout out goes out to all our fabulous, hardworking bus drivers.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
