A Fistful Of Sky

A Fistful Of Sky (2002) Nina Kiriki Hoffman

I’m in need of comfort reading right now–and it needed to be an ebook, so I splurged and bought the ebook version of A Fistful Of Sky and dug in.

Gypsum LaZelle comes from a magical family. At some point when they are young teenagers, most LaZelle’s develop powers, but no one knows what those powers will be, or how the recipient will choose to use them.

One of the things I love so much about this story is Gyp’s complicated relationship with her family.

Live with it? I didn’t know if I could live with what had happened. In my heart there was a broken place. In the image I had of family, there was a broken place.

Well, her family itself is complicated.

Mama said, as she always did when things like that happened, that in her family, it was customary to let the kids fight it out. Dad said maybe that was why she hadn’t spoken with her two older sisters since they were teenagers.

But it’s also good. And Gyp is wonderful.

I liked spying on people. I figured I would be an anthropologist when I grew up; they were the biggest snoops I ever heard of.

I adore her.

“Quit being such a martyr. Do something mean.”
I checked the clock. About twenty minutes after eleven. I couldn’t do math with minutes! But whatever I dropped on her, it would last until around six-thirty, say. “Do you have any plans for this afternoon?”
“Stop stalling!”
“Ultimate Fashion Sense!” I yelled.

I love so much that “Ultimate Fashion Sense” is the meanest thing she could think of off the top of her head.

“Ultimate Fashion Sense? What kind of curse is that?”
“You can’t possibly wear that skirt with that blouse. Those socks!”
She glanced down at herself. “What’s wrong with my socks?”
“Ribbed socks? With plaid? Not midcalf height! Please! Either anklets or knee-highs. And your hair? How can you live with it?”
“What’s wrong with my hair?”
“You can’t go out in public with that hair. Come on.” I grabbed her arm and dragged her upstairs.
“Gyp, what are you doing?”
“I have to cut your hair. It’s imperative. No one should have to live with looking at that any longer.”

I think what I love most about this book is that her family is complicated, but there is no easy resolution to their problems. And although her mother does some pretty awful things at times, she’s not a bad person, and she’s not bad to Gyp. (It also helps that her father will stand up to her mother for her.)

There is another book with many of these characters, but I didn’t like it anywhere near as well as this story. This story hits all my sweet spots and is what I need when I’m feeling down and melancholy.

Also, this book has one of my all time favorite covers. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Rating: 10/10

Published by Ace

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