Navigate Your Stars

Written by Jesmyn Ward

Narrated by Jesmyn Ward

A revelatory, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated meditation on dedication, hard work, and the power of perseverance from the beloved, New York Times bestselling, and two-time National Book Award–winning Jesmyn Ward.

For Tulane University’s 2018 commencement, Jesmyn Ward delivered a stirring speech about the value of hard work and the importance of respect for oneself and others. Speaking about the challenges she and her family overcame, Ward inspired everyone in the audience with her meditation on tenacity in the face of hardship. Ward’s moving words will inspire readers as they prepare for the next chapter in their lives, whether, like Ward, they are the first in their families to graduate from college or are preceded by generations, or whether they are embarking on a different kind of journey later in life.

Beautifully illustrated in full color by Gina Triplett, this gorgeous and profound book will charm a generation of students—and their parents. Ward’s inimitable voice shines through as she shares her experience as a Southern black woman and addresses the themes of grit, adversity, and the importance of family bonds. Navigate Your Stars is a perfect gift for anyone in need of inspiration from the author of Salvage the Bones, Men We Reaped, and Sing, Unburied, Sing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Apr 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781797104591

Jesmyn Ward

Jesmyn Ward received her MFA from the University of Michigan and has received the MacArthur Genius Grant, a Stegner Fellowship, a John and Renee Grisham Writers Residency, the Strauss Living Prize, and the 2022 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. She is the winner of two National Book Awards for Fiction for Sing, Unburied, Sing and Salvage the Bones. She is also the author of the novel Where the Line Bleeds and the memoir Men We Reaped, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize and the Media for a Just Society Award. She is currently a professor of creative writing at Tulane University and lives in Mississippi. 

Reviews for Navigate Your Stars

[Misty C · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a beautiful reminder by Jesmyn regarding life’s beauty in arriving at your destination despite the hardships we endure.

[cutecandles2019 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful story of growth, patience, and resilience.

[Terry Stone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Inspirational, even for this white male who is retired. Retirement and aging well is also demanding.

[Chris Johnson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely clear and direct. Great advice and informative, insightful and inspiring

[Sarah Koller · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A co-worker of mine introduced me to Ms Ward. I'm so very thankful I've found her

[Nicole Scoggins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jesmyn Ward's message inspired me, as intended, even though many moons have crossed the sky since graduation. Thank you. Be well.

[Anthony Woods · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was great because it follows the trials and tribulations of life. Giving a grit fueled and powered perspective of life. Truly powerful.

[Bre Herndon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Extremely short story of how perseverance and the shoulders of our ancestors on which we stand , are essential in achieving your life's purpose.

[Karen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jesmyn keep going, you have a gift the world is waiting to receive. Excellent message.

[mrs.dubois · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A short but powerful book based on Ward’s 2018 commencement speech at Tulane University. It underscores the importance of both determination and family. It also offers beautiful illustrations done by Gina Triplett.
I received this book as an arc in exchange for my honest review.

[thewanderingjew_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Navigate Your Stars, Jesmyn Ward
Having read several books by this author, I eagerly looked forward to reading her latest brief, but very poignant, beautifully illustrated, inspirational book. I received an uncorrected proof which I immediately sat down and read. I was not disappointed.
The prose is easy to read, her suggestions are common sense and her background is similar to mine in many ways. I am sure there are many others who will also identify with her experiences and her advice.
The environment in which my family lived was hostile for religious and other reasons. Jesmyn Ward’s environment was hostile for racial and economic reasons. Her parents, like mine, encouraged her to work hard to get ahead; to do this, she, like I, was told to “go to college”. Some doors were closed to us, some remain closed today. I found it inspiring that we had so much in common, especially with regard to a philosophy of life that was imparted to us by our parents.
Jesmyn gives the reader a more considered piece of advice than our parents gave us. She advises that after we work hard, we should keep working hard, we should not give up. If we don’t succeed, we should persist, have patience and keep trying. I think it is great advice from a great author!
Also, I think this book can show the world that race and creed are not the roadblocks to unity that we make them. We actually might have far more in common if we stopped and truly got to know each other. In the current political environment, it is really good advice to keep on trying!