In Olivia Hawker’s newest historical fiction novel, The Stars and Their Light, the author ventures into more experimental territory than her previous works, crafting a mesmerizing tale that blends historical events with spiritual questioning. Set against the backdrop of the infamous 1947 Roswell incident, Hawker weaves a tapestry of faith, doubt, and the unexplainable that challenges readers to consider what lies beyond conventional understanding.
Unlike her previous historical novels that rooted themselves firmly in documented historical events—such as the Mormon pioneer experience in The Fire and the Ore or the rural American West in One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow—Hawker takes a more speculative approach here. The result is a deeply human story about how encounters with the inexplicable can transform our most fundamental beliefs.
The Intersection of Faith and Mystery
The novel centers on Sister Mary Agnes, a cloistered nun who arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947 just weeks after the alleged UFO crash that would make the town infamous. As an extern sister for a newly established Poor Clare monastery, Mary Agnes must navigate the outside world after twelve years of enclosure. Her mission becomes complicated when she meets Betty Campbell, a teenager mysteriously stigmatized after contact with debris from the crash, and Harvey Day, a handyman with firsthand knowledge of what really happened in the desert.
Hawker brilliantly captures the tension between institutional faith and personal spiritual experience. Mary Agnes begins as a devoted servant of her church, albeit one who has never fully embraced belief. When confronted with events that defy conventional explanation—Betty’s stigmata and Harvey’s account of the crash—she faces a crisis that many religious people will find painfully familiar: what happens when direct experience contradicts dogma?
Masterful Character Development
What elevates this novel is Hawker’s nuanced character development, particularly with her three main characters:
- Sister Mary Agnes/Patricia Walton – Her journey from obedient nun to questioning seeker forms the emotional core of the novel. Hawker captures the complexity of religious doubt with remarkable compassion, never reducing Mary Agnes to a stereotype of either blind faith or cynical rejection.
- Betty Campbell – A teenager navigating both ordinary adolescent concerns and extraordinary circumstances, Betty embodies resilience. Her struggle to understand her stigmata while dealing with high school social hierarchies and dreams of college creates a character both relatable and unique.
- Harvey Day – The former radar operator whose life was upended by what he witnessed inside the crashed object brings a grounded perspective. His practical nature makes his fantastic claims all the more compelling.
The relationships between these characters evolve naturally, with Mary Agnes and Harvey’s forbidden attraction particularly well-handled. Rather than relying on melodrama, Hawker lets their connection grow from shared alienation and mutual understanding.
Atmospheric Prose That Transports
Hawker’s prose shines brightest in her descriptions of the New Mexico landscape. The vast desert becomes a character itself—ancient, indifferent, and mysteriously alive. Consider this passage:
“The vast, still awe came over Roger—the catastrophic peace of a revelation. At his side, Harvey was breathing in short, ragged gasps. Roger reached out and clutched the radarman by his shoulder, not knowing whether he was trying to hold Harvey steady or keep himself from dropping to his knees in wonder and terror.”
This atmospheric writing creates a sense of cosmic scale against which human concerns seem simultaneously insignificant and profoundly important. Hawker knows when to pull back for panoramic views and when to zoom in on intimate details—a skill that gives the novel both breadth and depth.
Historical Authenticity with Speculative Elements
Hawker grounds her narrative in meticulous historical research. The details of 1940s Roswell feel authentic, from the post-war anxieties to the social dynamics of a military town. The author’s extensive research on the Roswell incident itself (outlined in her fascinating author’s note) provides a solid foundation for the more speculative elements.
What makes this approach work is Hawker’s restraint. She never definitively explains the nature of the crashed object or the source of Betty’s stigmata. Instead, she focuses on how these mysteries affect her characters’ understanding of themselves and their world—a choice that elevates the novel above typical “alien encounter” stories.
Thematic Richness
The novel explores several interconnected themes with thoughtful complexity:
- Faith vs. Institution – The distinction between personal spiritual experience and religious dogma forms a central conflict
- The Nature of Reality – Harvey’s description of the object being “bigger on the inside” challenges fundamental assumptions about physical reality
- Authority and Truth – The military and church hierarchies both suppress information that challenges their authority
- Female Agency – Both Mary Agnes and Betty must find their own paths despite patriarchal limitations
- The Sacred Nature of Mystery – The characters ultimately find meaning not in answers but in questioning itself
These themes weave together to create a rich contemplation of how humans respond when confronted with experiences that defy explanation.
A Few Narrative Hiccups
While the novel largely succeeds in its ambitious aims, a few aspects could have been stronger:
- The pacing occasionally falters, particularly in the middle sections where some scenes feel repetitive.
- The “transcript” sections, while providing interesting structure, sometimes interrupt the narrative flow rather than enhancing it.
- Secondary characters like Mother Catherine and Father Kerry remain somewhat two-dimensional compared to the richly developed protagonists.
- The romance between Mary Agnes and Harvey, while thoughtfully developed, occasionally feels rushed in its culmination.
These minor issues don’t significantly detract from the novel’s power, but they prevent it from achieving the seamless perfection of Hawker’s best work.
Final Verdict: A Luminous Exploration of Mystery
The Stars and Their Light succeeds as both historical fiction and philosophical exploration. Readers who enjoyed Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow or Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead will find similar thematic richness here, though Hawker’s voice remains distinctly her own.
What makes this novel particularly compelling is its refusal to provide easy answers. Like the mysterious object at its center—larger inside than out—the book contains more questions than its relatively straightforward plot might suggest. It asks readers to consider what happens when we confront experiences that challenge our fundamental understanding of reality.
As Hawker writes near the novel’s conclusion: “The point isn’t to know. The point is to not know, to accept the holiness of mystery and the ever-broadening horizons such a mystery provides.”
In a world increasingly polarized between rigid certainties, this embrace of mystery feels not only refreshing but necessary. The Stars and Their Light reminds us that sometimes the most profound spiritual experiences come not from answers but from questions—not from dogma but from wonder.
For Readers of Olivia Hawker and Beyond
Fans of Hawker’s previous works like The Ragged Edge of Night will find her characteristic attention to historical detail and psychological depth, though this novel ventures into more speculative territory than The Fire and the Ore or October in the Earth. The writing maintains the lyrical quality that distinguishes her prose while exploring new thematic ground.
For readers new to Hawker, this novel stands alone but might inspire exploration of her earlier historical fiction. Those who enjoy this blend of history and metaphysical questioning might also appreciate:
- The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
- The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
- The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
The Stars and Their Light proves that historical fiction can do more than recreate the past—it can use historical settings to explore timeless questions about belief, reality, and the human capacity for transformation. In Mary Agnes’s journey from certainty to mystery, from enclosure to freedom, Hawker has created a moving meditation on faith in all its forms.
This novel shines brightest when it reminds us that the universe contains more wonders than any single framework—religious or scientific—can fully explain. Like the stars themselves, some lights are best appreciated not by analyzing their composition but by simply gazing upward in awe.