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The Girls in the Stilt House: A Novel Kindle Edition
THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
"Remarkable debut.... [a] nearly flawless tale of loss, perseverance and redemption."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
Set in 1920s Mississippi, this debut Southern novel weaves a beautiful and harrowing story of two teenage girls cast in an unlikely partnership through murder—perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing and If the Creek Don't Rise.
Ada promised herself she would never go back to the Trace, to her hard life on the swamp and her harsh father. But now, after running away to Baton Rouge and briefly knowing a different kind of life, she finds herself with nowhere to go but back home. And she knows there will be a price to pay with her father.
Matilda, daughter of a sharecropper, is from the other side of the Trace. Doing what she can to protect her family from the whims and demands of some particularly callous locals is an ongoing struggle. She forms a plan to go north, to pack up the secrets she's holding about her life in the South and hang them on the line for all to see in Ohio.
As the two girls are drawn deeper into a dangerous world of bootleggers and moral corruption, they must come to terms with the complexities of their tenuous bond and a hidden past that links them in ways that could cost them their lives.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSourcebooks Landmark
- Publication dateApril 6, 2021
- File size5284 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Remarkable debut…. [a] nearly flawless tale of loss, perseverance and redemption." ― Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Classic Southern reading." ― Library Journal
"The Girls in the Stilt House is a brilliantly researched, atmospheric page-turner. But best of all, it’s populated with characters you really care about. I devoured it in a single weekend, yet the novel’s haunting spell remained with me long after." ― Kate Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Radium Girls and the upcoming The Woman They Could Not Silence
"In a world too cruel to make a place for them, Matilda and Ada become an army of two, fighting a war for their own refuge. This is a gripping novel about friendship, danger, isolation, and the vivid, dripping, moving landscape of a Mississippi swamp. If you loved Where the Crawdads Sing, you’ll love The Girls in the Stilt House." ― Nina de Gramont, author of The Last September
"Kelly Mustian’s THE GIRLS IN THE STILT HOUSE is a triumph, a heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting debut that’s as rich and lush as the Natchez Trace where the story takes place. Mustian’s lyrical prose combined with her deep insight into the resiliency of the human spirit make this novel shine. You know a book is good when you wish you’d written it!" ― Karen Dionne, international bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter
"In prose that is stunning and assured, Kelly Mustian forges a powerful story of two young women, thrust together after unspeakable loss and devastation, and their courageous struggle to emerge from their darkest hours." ― Jessica Keener, author of Strangers in Budapest, an Indie Next pick and Entertainment Weekly "best new book"
"The two young women at the heart of this rich debut come of age under the hardest of circumstances, and Kelly Mustian has given us their world entire. We ache for their sorrows, we cheer for their victories, and we recognize both ourselves and our nation in their troubles and their hopes." ― Jon Clinch, author of Marley and Finn
About the Author
KELLY MUSTIAN is the author of The Girls in the Stilt House, which Publishers Weekly calls "a remarkable debut" and "a nearly flawless tale of loss, perseverance, and redemption." Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals and commercial magazines, and she is a past recipient of a Blumenthal Writers Award and a Regional Artist Grant from the North Carolina Arts and Science Council. She is originally from Natchez, Mississippi, and currently lives near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina.
Product details
- ASIN : B08BW4HY5C
- Publisher : Sourcebooks Landmark (April 6, 2021)
- Publication date : April 6, 2021
- Language : English
- File size : 5284 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 417 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 1728217717
- Best Sellers Rank: #63,094 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #107 in Southern United States Fiction
- #160 in Southern Fiction
- #640 in Women's Historical Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
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The Girls in the Stilt House: A Novel
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About the author
Kelly Mustian is the USA Today bestselling author of The Girls in the Stilt House and The River Knows Your Name. She is the recipient of the Mississippi Library Association's 2023 Author Award for Fiction, and The Girls in the Stilt House was shortlisted for the 2022 Crook's Corner Book Prize for best debut novel set in the American South. Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals and commercial magazines. Originally from Mississippi, she currently lives in North Carolina.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers praise the book for its engaging story and well-written prose. They find the writing style vivid and easy to read, with realistic dialogue that immerses them in the setting. The characters are well-developed and authentic. The emotional content is poignant and filled with heartbreaks from that time period. Readers appreciate the friendship and strength of the two young girls.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the well-written story with interesting characters. They find it an engaging read with a powerful plot and emotional depth. The author draws readers into the story with an intriguing narrative that builds toward a satisfying conclusion.
"Man’s inhumanity at is worst is in this amazing book. Hope is barely present but it reaches out and grabs you...." Read more
"It was a good book. I'm not a reader that focuses on all the little details I THINK should have been in there...." Read more
"Thoroughly enjoyable. A great plot with interesting turns. But it's the characters that draw you into their story...." Read more
"I lent this to my sister, before I read it. She said it was a good book. I haven’t had time to read it yet. She gives this a 5 Star rate." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's engaging story and emotional content. They find it thought-provoking, exciting, and satisfying on many levels. The book provides insights into how the 20th century affected some people.
"This book is a rare kind that keeps you intrigued . Good character presentation and well written" Read more
"...I usually am not prone to scary books, but this one held my attention to the last page! Great job by Kelly Mustian!!..." Read more
"...Interesting and upsetting at the same time. Reading the book brought tears to my eyes...." Read more
"Good book. Gives insight to how the 20’s affected some of the poor people...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They find it easy to read with vivid descriptions and realistic dialogue. The book portrays a vivid picture of life in the South in the 1920s. Readers appreciate the author's attention to detail and foreboding, making it an engaging read.
"This book was pretty good. It was well written and moved along well. It did end abruptly for me. I wanted more." Read more
"...Good character presentation and well written" Read more
"This is a nice soft covered book. Easy to read. Good font size and great topic. I would highly recommend this book." Read more
"...Unlike its unworthy predecessor, the Mississippi story deals with the real world and real issues, not all of which have been solved to this day...." Read more
Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and authentic dialogue. They find the story engaging with strong female characters and vivid descriptions of people and settings.
"...Hope is barely present but it reaches out and grabs you. The characters were vividly real and broken...." Read more
"This book is a rare kind that keeps you intrigued . Good character presentation and well written" Read more
"...An interesting story with well developed characters and deep emotions. I hope the author will continue to tell her stories!" Read more
"I couldn't put this book down. I was in the swamp with the characters and part of their lives. A must read!" Read more
Customers find the book thought-provoking and emotional. It explores themes of survival, love, loss, and fear in a poignant way. They describe it as an uplifting story of two young women who overcome hardships and tragedy. The ending leaves readers with a feeling of hope.
"...mystique is the background for this heartbreaking, yet uplifting story of two young women who just want a choice at a life...." Read more
"...They overcame such horror and tragedy eventually surviving on their own strengths. A wonderful book." Read more
"...book is not only a tribute to the strength of women but also a poignant exploration of what it takes to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world." Read more
"...An interesting story with well developed characters and deep emotions. I hope the author will continue to tell her stories!" Read more
Customers find the book engaging. They appreciate the women's strength and resilience in challenging circumstances. The story gives hope for future generations of strong women. The gritty dramas are never overdone, and the book keeps readers hooked until the end.
"...The characters were vividly real and broken. This was hard to put down and it will haunt me for a while...." Read more
"...the author's words, she gives life to Ada, Matilda and future generations of strong women...." Read more
"...This book is not only a tribute to the strength of women but also a poignant exploration of what it takes to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world." Read more
"...by tragedy and need, both women showed resource and strength in challenging circumstances. Interesting and upsetting at the same time...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's friendship story. They find it heartwarming and kind, with a unique relationship between two young girls. The characters are rich in family love and have hard lives. Readers appreciate the touching dialogue and relevant relationships.
"...time the characters evolved fairly quickly into unique and sympathetic individuals with fascinating stories and much to care about...." Read more
"...It kept me guessing, as it was mysterious, happy, sad." Read more
"...The family may not have much, but they are rich in family love. Ada is a young white woman living in the same vicinity...." Read more
"...with the realities of white injustices brought up both ugly and sweet memories. Kudos." Read more
Customers have mixed reviews about the ending. Some find it suspenseful and well-written, while others feel the plot is melodramatic and the ending abrupt. The storyline is described as strange but sad, with some finding it frightening and true.
"...However, it was then missing a couple pages in chapter 39 so I missed some of the story. Poor quality control during production." Read more
"...It was well written and moved along well. It did end abruptly for me. I wanted more." Read more
"...Ending was good, leaving a great place for other spin-off novels." Read more
"...They were grim, deadly – and necessary. When it comes to options, there are very few for cheating-thieving landowners and stinking-drunk fathers...." Read more
Reviews with images
Could not put this book down!
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2024Man’s inhumanity at is worst is in this amazing book. Hope is barely present but it reaches out and grabs you. The characters were vividly real and broken. This was hard to put down and it will haunt me for a while. Why should the color of your skin affect every breath you take? Take a deep breath and jump into this one!!
- Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2025It was a good book. I'm not a reader that focuses on all the little details I THINK should have been in there. I read it as it is written and see it in my mind as I read. I felt it was good. Not great, but good enough to finish. My only complained is that at chapter 34, the pages suddenly were upside down and backwards. I had to go forward maybe 30 pages, flip the book over and read it that way until I got back to chapter 39, then I could continue with the book the right way when reading beyond. However, it was then missing a couple pages in chapter 39 so I missed some of the story. Poor quality control during production.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2024Thoroughly enjoyable. A great plot with interesting turns. But it's the characters that draw you into their story. Two women finding their way the the Depression Era deep south.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2024I lent this to my sister, before I read it. She said it was a good book. I haven’t had time to read it yet. She gives this a 5 Star rate.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023This book was pretty good. It was well written and moved along well. It did end abruptly for me. I wanted more.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2024This book is a rare kind that keeps you intrigued . Good character presentation and well written
- Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2024Was a good read, however the end left me feeling that there should have been more to the story.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2024This is a nice soft covered book. Easy to read. Good font size and great topic. I would highly recommend this book.
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on December 15, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars hard to put down, suspense to the end
Great entertaining read
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 star read. One of my faves this year!
In my top two books this year. A 5 star must read !!!!
- Sandi McCreightReviewed in Canada on May 2, 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book
A really amazing story of old times, incredibly hard times, abuse, strength, and resilience. Poverty at its worst. Crazy good.
- LindaReviewed in Canada on September 3, 2021
4.0 out of 5 stars Fall into the story.
This story was relatable. It drew me in just as "Where the Crawdads Sing" did. I loved the characters and the way the story unfolded slowly making me want to know more.
- Sunshine in MexicoReviewed in Canada on March 27, 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
A story of two young girls who definitely lived in the hardest of times. Reminds us all of how hard life was in the 20’s for many people in the southern U.S.
But their strength and determination made the book a winner in the long run.