Rachel never thought of herself as black or white. In her home, she was always just Rachel. Now, at eleven years old, she’s been uprooted from her life in Chicago and sent to live with her paternal grandmother in Portland. Divided between the memory of her Danish mother and the African-American world of her father’s family in which she has been immersed, Rachel struggles with her uncertain identity as "the new girl." Her light skin and blue eyes set her apart at her mostly black school, but her grandmother is determined to staunch any remaining influences of her disgraced white mother.

Rachel grows up isolated, haunted by the mystery surrounding a tragic accident that claimed the lives of her mother and siblings. Little by little, bits and pieces of her memories from that fateful day in Chicago begin to surface. But it takes a stranger with a special secret to finally put the pieces together and help Rachel find her self again.

This achingly beautiful, thought-provoking novel is recommended for fans of Toni Morrison and anyone interested in issues of racial and cultural identity. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is the 2008 winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction, founded by Barbara Kingsolver and awarded annually for the best literature supporting social change. Meet the author and a host of other talented writers at the 2010 South Carolina Book Festival, held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on February 27 - 28.