Navigate Your Stars by Jesmyn Ward

Navigate Your Stars

by Jesmyn Ward

As an adult, I learned this: persist. Work hard.

Face rejection, weather the setbacks, until you meet the gatekeeper who will open a door for you.

Jesmyn Ward grew up in a poor, rural community in Mississippi. Today, as the first woman to win the National Book Award twice, she is celebrated as one of America's greatest living writers.

Navigate Your Stars is a stirring reflection on the value of hard work and the importance of respect for oneself and others. First delivered as a 2018 commencement address at Tulane University, it captures Ward's inimitable voice as she reflects on her experiences as a Southern black woman, addressing the themes of grit, adversity and the importance of family bonds.

Beautifully illustrated in full colour, this is a meditative and profound book that will inspire all readers preparing for the next chapter in their lives.

Reviewed by jamiereadthis on

4 of 5 stars

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I’m usually not one for stirring speeches of the commencement variety, but this one— in audio, read by the author— was worth the listen.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 6 June, 2020: Finished reading
  • 6 June, 2020: Reviewed