The Girls in the Stilt House

A Novel

De: Kelly Mustian

Narrado por: Johanna Parker

Murder breaks through the racial divide that separates two teenage girls, forging an unlikely friendship in this Southern debut that’s perfect for fans 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 unbearable life on the swamp, and to her harsh father in Mississippi. 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.

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.

©2021 Kelly Mustian (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Amazing, just stick with it.

I was a doubter in the beginning, but I forced myself through it. I was so happy I did! The book turned out to be more than I had hoped for! I really enjoyed the story, tragedies, and the strength of the characters.

grabs you

Loved learning about these two girls and following their story. twists and turns were great

A wonderful book with a different type of story.

Everything about this book is just fantastic. From start to finish. The writing was excellent, story was great and took many turns. And the reading was done fantastic. Love this book

Such a great book!!

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I loved it! It had a little bit of everything. The characters are great and they will have an impact on me for some time. I loved this book! Great performance as well!

I was drawn in with the opening words.

This became a binge read. One of those novels so carefully crafted that you smell the smells and feel the tensions and see the landscape clearly. ONE of those novels with characters so real that you wonder how they are faring long after you finish the last page. The author said this is her first novel. I can't wait for the rest.

Excellent book

I enjoyed this book. The story had plenty of suspense, interesting characters who grew and changed, and entertaining narration. I enjoyed learning more about the time period and the culture in rural Mississippi at that time.

A Wonderful Read

I loved this narrator and this story. It is a thoughtful and compelling dive into differing traumas and healing these by finding a little grace in various people and situations.

blood boiling moments

The narrator took some adjusting to, the story was riveting nonetheless. Emotional, intense, hopeful !

Could but get past reader

Honestly, I cannot rate the story. I could not get past the reader. The rise and fall of her voice did not match what she was reading at all. Her voice was deep, but breathy and at time monotone. I may try again when I'm able to take it in small bits, but not a nine hour straight set.

Beautiful story

This is a beautiful story, though not necessarily a happy one. The author has painted us a picture of two marginalized groups of people through the two young women who the story is about in a part of the country still troubled by racism to this day. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.