Christiane M. Andrews
Available now
from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
SPINDLEFISH AND STARS
BOOKS
SPINDLEFISH AND STARS
In which a story is spun.
And unspun.
Clothilde has lived her whole life in the shadows with her (sometimes) thieving and (always) ailing father. But when he fails to meet her one morning, sending her instead a mysterious ticket of "half-paffage," Clo finds herself journeying across the sea to reunite with him. The ticket, however, leaves her on a sunless island populated only by creaking fishermen, a rumpled old woman, a piggish cat, and a moon-cheeked boy named Cary.
Clo is quickly locked away and made to spend her days in unnerving chores with the island’s extraordinary fish, while the old woman sits nearby weaving an endless gray tapestry. Frustrated and aching with the loss of her father, Clo must unravel the mysteries of the island and all that’s hidden in the vast tapestry’s threads — secrets both exquisite and terrible. And she must decide how much of herself to give up in order to save those she thought she’d lost forever.
Order from IndieBound, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble.
Also available as an audio CD—IndieBound, Bookshop, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble—and in large print.
Cover art by Yuta Onoda; cover design by Karina Granda.
PRAISE FOR SPINDLEFISH AND STARS
“
An epic tale of abandonment,
travel, secrets, family,
and the meaning of art...
Exquisite in detail,
Andrews's stunning novel
gives careful importance to objects...
Chapter titles sparkle and tantalize... and prose sings.
A tapestry, both humble and rich.
KIRKUS,
Starred Review
“
Andrews’ stunning debut, loosely based on Greek mythology, is bewitching, beautiful, and bewildering, akin to being submerged in an eerie dream...
[I]t’s immensely satisfying to absorb the delicious descriptions and gradual revelations along with the appealing protagonist. We may be just a single shining thread in a tapestry, as Clo learns, but what a glorious whole it creates.
Booklist,
Starred Review
“
Andrews' musical prose is a delight, full of rhythm and sparkle... Readers familiar with Greek myth will take special pleasure in the slantwise view Andrews conjures... The tapestry metaphor also offers a longer, measured view of the unavoidability of pain and the beauty of kindness as well as commentary on the persistence of powerful stories through art.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,
Starred Review
“
[A] lyrical debut
exploring the nature
of destiny and sacrifice...
The narrative voice... makes
this enchanting story
feel like an all-new myth built from classic material.
Publishers Weekly,
Starred Review
Expertly written, full of beautiful imagery... Clo’s dynamic character growth is one to be applauded... [her] enlightening adventure teaches her to find beauty in tragedy, to help those in need, and to accept what cannot be changed while having the courage to change what she can. These timeless lessons alone make this title worth the read... an engaging and inventive novel.
“
“
Mysterious and evocative...
a dreamy, immersive
story that raises questions
about the power of art
and the value of
human suffering.
Horn Book
A 2020 Booklist
Editors' Choice
A Kirkus
Best Book of 2020
A Junior Library Guild
Gold Standard Selection
ABOUT
Christiane grew up in rural New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, on the edges of mountains and woods and fields and sometimes even the sea. A writing and literature instructor, she lives with her husband and son and a small clutch of animals on an old New Hampshire hilltop farm. Spindlefish and Stars is her first novel.
Photo by S. Walton
EVENTS
past
17
Fri
Sep
National Book Festival Great Reads from Great Places /
Magic & Mystery Panel (on-demand video hosted by The Library of Congress)
with Blue Balliet, Elizabeth C. Bunce, Dan Gutman, Eden Royce, and Rocco Staino
19
Tue
Oct
Paperback Release
20
Thu
Jun
ALA Virtual Middle Grade Magic Panel / Hosted by LBYR on Crowdcast
with Lev Grossman, Julie Abe, and Becky Calzada
22
Tue
Sep
19
Thu
Nov
NCTE Virtual Panel / Hosted by LBYR on Crowdcast
with Zetta Elliott, Andrea Tsurumi, and Victoria Stapleton
CONTACT
For rights and business inquiries, please contact Christiane's literary agent, Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties; for publicity requests, please contact Christiane's publicist, Siena Koncsol at Little, Brown.
For other inquiries or personal messages or to request a signed bookplate, please get in touch using the form below. Christiane will respond to messages as soon as she can. (If expecting a response, please make sure to check email spam folders; sometimes replies can get swept up here!)
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