Out of the frayed filaments of the yarn of memory, a cohesive tale is spun.

In Starry Starry Night, Shani Mootoo gives us the singular voice of Anju Goshal, a young girl living in 1960s Trinidad. Spanning her life between the ages of four and twelve, we experience the world just as Anju does, coming to understand she has evolved into a keen observer because her safety depends on it. Through her clear-eyed perspective, the reader is fully transported and becomes both a witness to and participant in Anju’s negotiations of an unexpectedly new and complex life.

Starry Starry Night illuminates the experiences of a well-off and socially advancing family during the turn of a country’s fortunes. Thoughtfully articulated via the innocent commentary of a child, the book tackles larger issues of family, loss, and trauma. It relays the story of a British colony just before and after its independence and touches on the racial and class problems faced as a result of colonialism.

Beautifully crafted and rich with sumptuous detail, this unique narrative coalesces into a portrait of a child who, despite privileged appearances, must become independent and fend for herself. It also depicts adults who, while so wrapped up in their own dramas, fail to see the needs of the children who depend on them. Starry Starry Night is an innovative and revelatory work of autofiction from a celebrated voice in contemporary fiction.