Bite the Stars

June M. Blurton is a retired speech/language pathologist.

Cam was born during a tornado to a young, single woman in the southern
United States. His story is told by his older, sadder mother while he is
awaiting execution for murder, the culmination of a long string of petty
and serious crimes.

As Cam’s mother recounts his story, she tries to figure out her
mistakes. She loved him extravagantly, but he was always difficult. He
was premature, so she missed cuddling him in the early weeks. She gave
him to her sister to raise for three long years so she could work and
fix up her house, never realizing that he felt abandoned. He did not
make friends and refused to accept responsibility for his actions. Deep
down his mother knew something was wrong, but, as she says, “I
didn’t let myself add anything up, put it together.”

Bite the Stars is a major departure from Clark’s earlier novel. It is
deeply tragic, leaving the reader totally without hope, but at the same
time magnificent in its execution.