The Stars Are Not Yet Bells by Hannah Lillith Assadi

The Stars Are Not Yet Bells
by Hannah Lillith Assadi
⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Stars Are Not Yet Bells is one of those books that is about nothing in particular - the premise existing as more of a statement about a specific place and time in the main character's life. I love books like this! 

Centered on Elle, an elderly woman diagnosed with dementia, this book takes us on a journey through her past, her regrets, her mental health struggles, her strained marriage, and the great losses of her life, as well as the delusions and empty pockets of time that can occur when one is losing their memory. 

The story of Elle's life is an unfortunately tragic one and it is truly a testament to how one decision can completely alter the trajectory of your life. This story jumps all over the place! We are essentially being led by Elle deeper and deeper into the dark, through all the twists and turns of her past and present and all the spots where they intersect. With that being said, however, it is easy enough to follow along, despite Elle's worsening confusion as the book progresses.

Hannah Lillith Assadi's skill to interweave subtle observations throughout The Stars Are Not Yet Bells is extremely impressive. Again and again we are presented with the sexism and misogyny of the early to mid 1900s as well as the ridiculously unreachable expectations placed upon the shoulders of women at the time. There are also undercurrents of additional themes, such as racism, homophobia, and the hierarchy that separates the wealthy from the working class. All of these themes are touched upon gracefully; the moments in the story that showcase these issues are strong enough to inspire thought, but subtle enough so as not to overwhelm less experienced readers. 

I'm not going to delve too deeply into the story for this review because the whole novel is centered around the experience that readers have while watching Elle's life unfold through her eyes. What I will say, however, is that this was originally going to be rated 3 stars, but the ending changed my opinion completely, and so I've given it 4 stars. This is definitely not a novel for everyone, but it is an interesting take on Historical Fiction and Elle's story will stay with me for a while.