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Review: The Star That Always Stays

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By Anna Rose Johnson
New York: Holiday House, 2022. Historical fiction. 274 pgs.

Growing up, Norvia Nelson cherished the stories her Grand-père would tell about their family's Ojibwe culture before he died. Now, as a fourteen-year-old, Norvia's parents are divorced and her mother is getting remarried to a man she has only recently met. For Norvia, that means moving from her home to a big house in the city, adjusting to life with her new stepfather and stepbrother, and, because her mother has asked her to, keeping her Ojibwe heritage a secret. All of this on top of adjusting to her new high school. Norvia finds solace in reading novels and remembering the stories her grandfather told her, and she is able to find strength to become the heroine she'd like to be, like the ones in her books. Set in 1914 on the brink of World War I, there are changes on the horizon for Norvia.

This book is the debut novel from Anna Rose Johnson, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe, and is based upon her own great-grandmother's story. The historical setting is well-researched and is brought to life with caring details. The characters in this book, especially Norvia, are memorable and personable and creating an engaging novel from beginning to end. The result is a book that feels like the sorts of novels Norvia cherishes -- Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, and Little Women. Hand this book to the child in your life who loves the classics.
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