“A rich, savvy exploration of the many kinds of love, loss, and dysfunction that can unearth us or save us, bedevil us or deliver us… as complex and hilarious as it is surprising and lovely.” — ZZ Packer, author of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere
When you’re in trouble, and sinking fast, whom do you call?
Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?
When Piper’s ex-husband announces his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one step, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most…and show her how to live and laugh again.
Read the first chapter of Shake Down the Stars
A Conversation with Renee Swindle about Shake Down the Stars
Praise for Shake Down The Stars…
“This novel is a true gem. Beautifully written, it’s full of emotional impact that touches the heart without weighing the reader down. Themes of love, loss and addiction will reach into the soul.” –RT Book Reviews, 4 ½ Starts, Top Pick
Shake Down The Stars — Hot Pick! — Bloggers Recommend
“The characterization in Shake Down The Stars is marvelous… Not only were the characters perfectly portrayed, but this story moves along at a quick clip… Hope resonates within the pages. This fabulous novel made my Favorite Reads of 2013 (so far)” -Novel Escapes
“Start Reading: SHAKE DOWN THE STARS by Renee Swindle. this heartfelt drama [is] a perfect book to curl up with…or discuss with your book club. Don’t miss out.” Nicole Bonia- Linus’s Blanket
Swindle plays the story fast and loose around heavy themes like acceptance and forgiveness, ensuring the book is still a hoot to digest. –Shelf Awareness
-Night Owl Reviews 4/5 Stars http://bemiown.blogspot.com
“Swindle’s witty and intoxicating style will grab you from word one. She has a way of making her characters dance on the page, drawing you deep into the midst of their laughter and their sorrow, their joys and their mistakes. This is a wonderfully memorable read.” –Dish Magazine
“I can’t say enough good things about Shake Down the Stars. Renee Swindle’s writing is so good that I read it straight through and didn’t stop until the last page. If there’s one book you have to read this year, this very well may be it.” –Reads For Pleasure
“Never does Swindle brush over Piper’s pain, making for a book that can cause laughter and tears sometimes on the same page. never does Swindle brush over Piper’s pain, making for a book that can cause laughter and tears sometimes on the same page.”–Jenn aka The Picky Girl Read the full review! http://bit.ly/16DjM7Z
“You’ll never look at the stars the same again. Read Shake Down the Stars” –Connie Thompson Kuhn, SheReads.org
“Shake Down the Stars is a treat. Renee Swindle’s writing is funny, sharp, heartbreaking, and quirky, and her non-stock characters wonderfully memorable.”— Lalita Tademy, New York Times bestselling author of Can River and Red River
“I love, love, love Renee Swindle’s Shake Down the Stars! It’s fresh and unfamiliar — which is quite the trick these days! I love the protagonist and the very unlikely yet charming love interest. The novel manages to be both light and heavy all at the same time. I cannot tell you how much I like it. Well, I can… I LOVED IT. Seriously. One of my favorite reads of the past couple years.”— Nichelle Tramble Spellman, author of The Dying Ground and The Last King
“You are about to get a big treat… Renee Swindle’s novel Shake Down the Stars is funny, bitter as coffee, sweet as sugar and as moving as an earthquake. Enjoy!”— Farai Chideya, author of Kiss the Sky
“I love this story of a woman trying to pull herself together after a tragic incident. Renee Swindle is a great writer and storyteller. Her characters are smart and witty and will stay with readers long after the novel ends. I hope you love Shake Down the Stars as much as I do!”— Jacqueline Luckett, author of Searching for Tina Turner and Passing Love