In Hannah Lillith Assadi’s novel, The Stars Are Not Yet Bells, readers learn the story of Elle Cumberland's marriage to Simon Ranier, and their consequent move to an island off the coast of Georgia. Readers learn of family secrets—both Elle’s and Simon’s. And readers discover through Elle’s memories parts of her 50 years on the island. And yet readers must not be blamed if any skepticism arises during the reading journey. You see, the novel’s narrator is Elle Ranier, and Elle suffers from dementia. I recently spoke with Hannah Lillith Assadi about The Stars Are Not Yet Bells and the experience of assuming the lens of one whose memory is skewed. Here’s our conversation.
The Stars Are Not Yet Bells by Hannah Lillith Assadi was published by Riverhead Books.
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