Raft of Stars: A Novel

Written by Andrew J. Graff

Narrated by Lincoln Hoppe

“A rousing adventure yarn full of danger and heart and humor.” —Richard Russo

An instant classic for fans of Jane Smiley and Kitchens of the Great Midwest: when two hardscrabble young boys think they’ve committed a crime, they flee into the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Will the adults trying to find and protect them reach them before it’s too late?

It’s the summer of 1994 in Claypot, Wisconsin, and the lives of ten-year-old Fischer “Fish” Branson and Dale “Bread” Breadwin are shaped by the two fathers they don’t talk about.

One night, tired of seeing his best friend bruised and terrorized by his no-good dad, Fish takes action. A gunshot rings out and the two boys flee the scene, believing themselves murderers. They head for the woods, where they find their way onto a raft, but the natural terrors of Ironsforge gorge threaten to overwhelm them.

Four adults track them into the forest, each one on a journey of his or her own. Fish’s mother Miranda, a wise woman full of fierce faith; his granddad, Teddy, who knows the woods like the back of his hand; Tiffany, a purple-haired gas station attendant and poet looking for connection; and Sheriff Cal, who’s having doubts about a life in law enforcement.

The adults track the boys toward the novel’s heart-pounding climax on the edge of the gorge and a conclusion that beautifully makes manifest the grace these characters find in the wilderness and one another. This timeless story of loss, hope, and adventure runs like the river itself amid the vividly rendered landscape of the Upper Midwest.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063031937

Andrew J. Graff

Andrew J. Graff is the author of novel Raft of Stars. His fiction and essays have appeared in Image and Dappled Things. Andrew grew up fishing, hiking, and hunting in Wisconsin's Northwoods. After a tour of duty in Afghanistan, he earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. He lives in Ohio and teaches at Wittenberg University.

Reviews for Raft of Stars

[Rebecca Byrne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A 1994 summer in WI has 2 adolescent boys running for their lives in boy-made rafts like a modern day Tom and Huck. Except, they aren’t in the kind of trouble they thought they were. All of the adults, the Sheriff included, just wanted them home safely. Harrowing at times, facing bears, coyotes and raging rapids, secrets are spilled, love is formed and lessons are learned along the way.

[Jean Ringenberg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. I think it would make a great coming of age movie!

[MaryAnnAddington · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story, great narrator. Realistic, poignant, optimistic all at once. Characters of multiple ages, wrestling and coming to terms with their lives as they really are.

[Kristin Siemens · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful coming of age story about good and evil, loss and gain, desperation and hope, struggle and triumph. Highly recommend.

[Ellen Brookes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the denouement and the humanity of the characters.

[Hessah · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A story of agonizing emotions that don’t discriminate between children and adults; each of whom has his/her own hopes while struggling with internal barriers that can either be overcomed or hit on the face. Under the gaze of stars, the raft of hopes takes the characters into of a journey of finding inner strength while building friendships along the way.

[richardderus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: When two hardscrabble young boys think they’ve committed a crime, they flee into the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Will the adults trying to find and protect them reach them before it’s too late?

It’s the summer of 1994 in Claypot, Wisconsin, and the lives of ten-year-old Fischer “Fish” Branson and Dale “Bread” Breadwin are shaped by the two fathers they don’t talk about.

One night, tired of seeing his best friend bruised and terrorized by his no-good dad, Fish takes action. A gunshot rings out and the two boys flee the scene, believing themselves murderers. They head for the woods, where they find their way onto a raft, but the natural terrors of Ironsforge gorge threaten to overwhelm them.

Four adults track them into the forest, each one on a journey of his or her own. Fish’s mother Miranda, a wise woman full of fierce faith; his granddad, Teddy, who knows the woods like the back of his hand; Tiffany, a purple-haired gas station attendant and poet looking for connection; and Sheriff Cal, who’s having doubts about a life in law enforcement.

The adults track the boys toward the novel’s heart-pounding climax on the edge of the gorge and a conclusion that beautifully makes manifest the grace these characters find in the wilderness and one another. This timeless story of loss, hope, and adventure runs like the river itself amid the vividly rendered landscape of the Upper Midwest.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: There's a religious-nut mother involved, so of course I had to read the book. To my disappointment, she is not vilified.

It's like that Leif Enger guy (So Brave, Young, and Handsome) or Per Petterson (Out Stealing Horses) was writing with Kent Haruf (Our Souls at Night); these comps ought to tell you what I thought of the book.

Ecco Press offers a trade paperback for $13.59, and if any of the named writers are your jam, go now!

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in the summer of 1994 in Wisconsin, two boys, Fish and Bread are shaped by their two fathers they don't talk about. Fish, tired of seeing his friend terrorized by his father, shoots him and the two boys run for their lives, believing themselves to be murderers. Four adults track them, each on their own private journey, each hoping to find the boys in time.

[brianinbuffalo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This coming-of- age novel with an adventurous twist is a thought-provoking yarn with some intriguing characters. The adventure-tied pursuit dragged on for just a bit too long in my estimation, and some of the dialogue was weak. But in general, I enjoyed “Raft of Stars.”

[shazjhb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A novel set early 1990. Interesting how complicated life was before cell phones etc. very good coming of age story

[clrichm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For some reason, I was resistant toward reading this one, and then resistant toward enjoying it. Can't remember why--maybe it was something in the way it was described to me that made me think it would be something I wouldn't enjoy. Turned out to be wrong; I actually really liked it in the end. The Wisconsin voice felt really authentic, and I liked the depth to all of the characters. (I really want to know more about what Teddy saw in Korea, and Constable Bobby is my sweet cinnamon roll.) Also the bear made it perfect in the end, adding that little bit of surreal "unreliable or not?" tone to things.

[hccpsk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff is far from perfect, but it will tick a lot of boxes for a lot of readers. In the mid-nineties in northern Wisconsin, best friends Fish and Bread spent summers in the woods fishing and learning outdoor skills from Fish’s grandfather. When tragedy strikes, the boys run into the woods with a group of adults trying desperately to find them. Raft of Stars is a coming of age, man vs. nature, family drama, and adventure story rolled up together.

[susan0316 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a book that I'd have never picked up -- a coming of age story about boys! Really? I won a copy from Book Browse and knew I had to give it a chance. Wow - am I ever glad that I did. This debut novel was fantastic -- it not only featured the two young boys but also the adults in their lives. I laughed with the two boys and at times their friendship and honesty with each other made me cry. This is a book that I won't soon forget.

It's 1994 in a small town in Wisconsin. Fish has spent the summer with his grandfather ever since his father died three years ago. His best friend Bread lives with an extremely abusive father who constantly terrorizes him. The boys became best friends as soon as they met and they spend their summer in the woods, playing games and making up stories for their enjoyment. Until the summer night that Fish sees Bread's father hitting him and Fish grabs a gun and shoots him. The two boys know that they are in big trouble and head off into the woods to get as far away as possible. They make it to the river, make a raft and set out on their adventure to escape. They are being tracked by four adults who want to help them - Fish’s mother Miranda, a wise woman full of fierce faith; his granddad, Teddy, who knows the woods like the back of his hand; Tiffany, a purple-haired gas station attendant and poet looking for connection; and Sheriff Cal, who’s having doubts about a life in law enforcement. The time the boys spend on the river is full of perilous situations that had this reader quickly turning pages to find out the outcome.

This book is more than a simple coming of age novel. It's a story about the bonds of friendship and the lengths that people will go through to help the people that they love - whether they are family by blood or family by friendship. Thanks to BookBrowse for a copy of this book to read and review. It was fantastic!