We can only imagine what the author has in mind when setting out to write a book. My theory is that it’s imagination. Imagination expresses feelings about events past, present and future. It moves from the thought to the words on the paper… The author of “Where the Stars Hide”, Patricia Gulzar is “an analytical, dyslexic, no-nonsense dreamer who surrounds herself with amazing friends and family”. I got this from the author note. I think “dreamer’ might be the important part of her make-up, as she leaves the reader feeling that this all really happened. I think Young Adults viz. maybe 19 – 22 or so, as well as late tweens, will be fascinated with how the story progresses.
Increasingly I am noticing that persons who have particular challenges, physical or emotional, are turning to storytelling. In this instance, the fantasy is detailed, expressive and real. Gulzar’s fluid, easy-going dialogue is alive and leaves you wanting to hear/see the outcome. She tells us of a fourteen year old, Mae, who is growing up in a world of disbelief, a world where truth is denied and tradition is compelling. It is set somewhere and all the characters are closely connected to her immediate family. Every day is a new challenge.
As CEO of her own real estate nonprofit , no doubt Gulzar is faced with the harsh realities that face hard working clients who day by day, see the possibilities but are unable to fulfill them. These realities serve to give the story the realness that it has. “Where the Stars Hide” is really hard to put down. It is fantasy that you get caught up in. And it is written for the younger population who are willing to give the digital experience a break.
Be prepared to set aside some dedicated time if you decide to read it!