AWARDS: SHAME THE STARS
AWARDS:
JLG Gold Standard Selection, Junior Library Guild
Américas Book Award-Commended List, Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs
Texas’ Great Reads 2018 – The Texas Center for the Book, Texas State Library and Archives Commission representing Texas at the National Book Festival at the Library of Congress
Tayshas List – Texas Library Association
REVIEWS:
Far beyond a love story, the novel successfully tackles all kinds of hardship, including sexual violence and lynching; the historical conflict between the Rangers and the Tejanos feels uncannily contemporary. Women are the hidden heroes, because they must be, the hearts of both the revolution and the novel. Pura Belpré winner McCall delivers an ambitious, sardonically relevant historical novel—a must-read, complex twist on a political Shakespearean tragedy.–Kirkus, Starred Review
McCall’s (Summer of the Mariposas) complex historical novel explores a seldom-covered era: the struggle between American-born Mexicans (Tejanos) and white Americans in border towns during the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century. …Sophisticated readers will appreciate the intricate political and ethical questions raised, as well as their relevance to contemporary border issues. McCall’s depiction of two important female characters, who stand out for their strength and grace in an otherwise staunchly traditional—and often hot-headed—male hierarchy, is especially compelling.–Publisher’s Weekly
issues of race and gender, the novel is balanced so well that readers will deepen their understanding without feeling like they have been forced into the knowledge. Juxtaposed with fiction and nonfiction texts and with just a touch of Romeo and Juliet, the novel offers much for classroom applications, and its beautiful love story and rich historical vision offer find much for pleasure readers to enjoy.–VOYA