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A Novel
by Priscille Sibley 5 Feb 2013
432 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN-13: 9780062194176
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Matt Beaulieu was two years old the first time he held Elle McClure in his arms, seventeen when he first kissed her under a sky filled with shooting stars, and thirty-three when they wed. Now in their late thirties, the deeply devoted couple has everything—except the baby they've always wanted.
When a tragic accident leaves Elle brain-dead, Matt is devastated. Though he cannot bear losing her, he knows his wife, a thoughtful and adventurous scientist, feared only one thing—a slow death. Just before Matt agrees to remove Elle from life support, the doctors discover that she is pregnant. Now what was once a clear-cut decision becomes an impossible choice. Matt knows how much this child would have meant to Elle. While there is no certainty her body can sustain the pregnancy, he is sure Elle would want the baby to have a chance. Linney, Matt's mother, believes her son is blind with denial. She loves Elle, too, and insists that Elle would never want to be kept alive by artificial means, no matter what the situation.
Divided by the love they share, driven by principle, Matt and Linney fight for what each believes is right, and the result is a disagreement that escalates into a controversial legal battle, ultimately going beyond one family and one single life.
Told with sensitivity and compassion, The Promise of Stardust is an emotionally resonant and thought-provoking tale that raises profound questions about life and death, faith and medicine—and illuminates, with beauty and grace, the power of love to wound . . . and to heal.
"Sibley does a wonderful job of exploring a complex and controversial moral issue, skillfully giving both sides of the story…. This is a gripping, thoughtful, heart-wrenching, and well-written debut that would be a great discussion vehicle for certain book groups." - Booklist
"There's nothing like devastating moral quandary to spark reading, and this trade paperback original would be a great book club choice…" - Library Journal
"A literate and incandescent Nicholas Sparks-like love story complicated by intense moral and ethical questions." - Kirkus Reviews
"I read this first novel two times. The first time, I was intrigued. The second time, I felt privileged to share in such an amazing story." - Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean
"In The Promise of Stardust Sibley explores an ethical dilemma in a way that might lead you to question your own beliefs. Woven with elegance through a twenty-year love story, the novel takes numerous twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages." - Catherine McKenzie, Internationally bestselling author of Forgotten
"Sibley wrestles with the most complex medical ethics in our time and gives us characters who will stay with us long after the last page. She is a skilled story teller." - Jacqueline Sheehan, New York Times bestselling author of Lost & Found
"I loved this book. Priscille Sibley manages a delicate and brave balance with this gripping novel." - Katrina Kittle, author of The Kindness of Strangers and The Blessings of the Animals
Rated 
of 5
by
Louise J
Exceptional Read!
When I first decided to read this novel I was worried that the story would get bogged down in lengthy, drawn-out, and boring court trials and details. However, just the opposite was true. Ms. Sibley tells the story through flashbacks of their past and it works very well. I couldn’t put the book down until I was done. The Promise of Stardust would be a perfect selection for a book clubs, so much controversy and so many different aspects and viewpoints would make for hours and hours of great discussion. This is the kind of book you won’t soon forget. Very well-done!
Priscille Sibley is a neonatal intensive care nurse who lives in New Jersey with her husband and three teenage sons. Her short fiction has appeared in MiPoesias and her poetry in The Shine Journal. She is a member of Backspace Writers Forum and Liberty State Fiction Writers. The Promise of Stardust is her first novel.
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