Chasing North Star
“The vibrant, assured voice of Tavia Gilbert guides listeners through a family story about the trauma of mental illness affecting generations in both Germany and America…Tavia Gilbert does a spectacular job of electrifying this coming-of-age story. Winner of the AudioFile EArphones Award.”
AudioFile
Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
Germany, 1940. While struggling to survive at an orphanage, young Didi crosses paths with a rebellious, quirky girl who will either help her escape a life of abuse and uncertainty or lead her down an even darker path.
Fast forward to 1970. With help from a worn leather journal, another young girl learns the story of Didi, who escaped war-torn Germany for a better life in America—except her life didn’t turn out as expected. The stories of these two girls intertwine and eventually collide one Christmas night when Didi, all grown up, finally remembers the secret she buried long ago.
Chasing North Star looks back at a time when four free-range siblings, cigarettes in hand, roamed the streets until sunrise and hid from a gun-toting, mentally ill mother who couldn’t help herself.
Stingray bicycles, transistor radios, and late nights in the cemetery—just another day in Alamo. That is, until the youngest sibling stumbles upon Didi’s story.
Praise