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There are currently 44 member reviews
for On a Night of a Thousand Stars
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Kathryn H. (Narvon, PA)
Argentinian History Served with a Good Story
I enjoyed this book. It keeps your interest while educating you on an important time in Argentinian history. The book has a dual timeline 1998 and 1973. Towards the end of the book, I thought it jumped back and forth too quickly. The writer does have a reason because she reveals plot points bit by bit. For me it was easy to see where the plot was going because (possible spoiler) years ago I read "Perla" by Carolina de Robertis. That did not really diminish the story for me and I would recommend this book as a good read that familiarizes you with an Argentina that you may not know.
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Darlene G. (Allegany, NY)
A satisfying read with twists
A lovely debut novel. An easy read despite its context. I had heard of The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a human rights organization that works to find the children stolen and illegally adopted during the 1976–1983 Argentine military dictatorship, and I wanted to learn more. The story, grounded in the author's experience and research, brought that sad period to life through two romantic relationships one past and one current. The pacing was good, the alternating timeframes handled well, and all in all it was a satisfying read with several twists and turns.
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Anna R. (Oak Ridge, TN)
History Lesson
Because of reading this book, I learned much about Argentina and it's turbulent history. Of course I knew about Eva Peron but that's about it. I found the book both fascinating and shocking. The story line about Paloma was a bit predictable but it was needed to tell the story.
I had some trouble staying engaged in the middle of the book, but as the story continued, I couldn't put it down.
I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book and will recommend it to my book group.
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Karna B. (Long Beach, CA)
Historical fiction at its best
This historical fiction follows the life of an Argentinian family during dual periods. Chapters move between the turbulent 1970s, the military dictatorships and the protestor abductions and a more recent period of the 1990s as the Larrea's daughter, Paloma, searches for her true identity. The story is fast-paced yet gives the reader a very vivid picture of the atrocities that took place during the 1970s and the difficulties that children later had in discovering their true identity and mothers had in finding the truth about their missing family members.
Themes of human rights, morality, love, identity makes this well-written novel a compelling read.
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Judith M. (Granville, OH)
On a Night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryura Clark
I enjoyed reading this book once I adjusted to the writing style. All of the conversations are written in short choppy sentences with repetitive simple sentence structures interrupting the flow of the story. "I know. My apologies. My class ran late." Despite this, the story was very compelling because of both the setting and the plot. The political climate of Argentina, past and present, informed was the third story in the book. In the present, Paloma senses that her parents, especially her father, are hiding something. This story follows Paloma's search for the truth parallel with the story of her parent's past during the military takeover of Argentina. Connecting the two is Paloma's relationship with Franco who is searching for his family that was made to disappear during the "Dirty War" when a military dictatorship hunted down all dissidents. I couldn't put the book down once I got caught up in the stories.
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Cynthia V. (New York, NY)
Historical Fiction Worth Reading
I've always been interested in Argentina's recent dark history. This book does a very good job of fleshing out that history in a way that is well integrated into the plot and not just research clamoring to be gotten out there. The story is consistently engrossing and immensely readable. The writing is only competently written, some parts more fluid than others. But I would heartily recommend this book as, not only did I gain understanding of the political climate of Argentina, I also found it to be a good read.
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Christine P. (Essex Junction, VT)
On A Night of a Thousand Stars
Andrea Yaryura Clark has written a compelling and informative novel about Argentina's Dirty War and its continuing aftermath. The story caught my attention from the beginning, and I had a hard time putting it down, although I found myself less and less interested in Paloma"s plight and more and more interested in the history behind the stories. I felt the author was at her best when explaining the climate during this period and not nearly as compelling when pursuing the various love stories. But I would still highly recommend the book to anyone interested in Argentina and its tumultuous history. The book is also, perhaps, a cautionary tale of our need to pay attention to and protect our freedoms and rights lest we lose them.
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