The Promise of Stardust: A Novel
Sibley’s first novel opens on the aftermath of a tragic accident that leaves brilliant astronaut Elle Beaulieu brain-dead, and it is told from her husband Matt’s point of view. The family is left with a difficult decision when they learn Elle is pregnant. Should she be taken off life support, as her past comments and certain documents seem to suggest, or should she be kept alive to bring the baby to full-term? Before it ends, everyone will have weighed in, from Matt’s mother to pro-life activists. Woven between the novel’s tense scenes of medical and courtroom drama is the backstory of Elle and Matt’s very special relationship. Sibley does a wonderful job of exploring a complex and controversial moral issue, skillfully giving both sides of the story. She also draws on her experience as a neonatal intensive-care nurse to make complicated medical procedures interesting and easy to understand. This is a gripping, thoughtful, heart-wrenching, and well-written debut that would be a great discussion vehicle for certain book groups. --Kerri Price