"Grasping onto the familiar and the ordinary, author Bhadresa spins tales of women of color navigating girlhood, familial expectations, and romance. She holds relationships with mothers and sisters up to the light, peering at conflicting or hidden emotions...Perfect for readers of incisive stories, this collection gently unravels the everyday dilemmas in modern BIPOC families."

— Booklist Review by Allison Cho, September 15, 2024

“To be a contemporary racialized woman is to be noticed but also invisible, and Bhadresa deftly explores these paradoxical spaces. A gorgeously observed collection by a wonderfully gifted writer.” 

— Lindsay Wong, author of The Woo-Woo and Tell Me Pleasant Things about Immortality: Stories

“An Astonishment of Stars is a deeply nuanced, intelligent new voice in the Canlit landscape that tells stories about our struggle to contemporaneously belong and to break free—or, as I imagine Bhadresa might explain it, she simply sows stories about how we branch forward gloriously once we’ve rooted ourselves strongly.”

— Salma Hussain, author of The Secret Life of Mona Hasan and It’s Not Over Yet

“In stories that can encompass a novel’s worth of time and events, Kirti Bhadresa melds style and sincerity with her focused craft. With vivid insight into labour, family and different forms of exile, Bhadresa finds light in the imperfect, real lives of her characters.” 

— Naben Ruthnum, author of Helpmeet

“From rebellious teens to a levitating aunty, An Astonishment of Stars brings us unforgettable characters in stories ranging from the everyday to the fantastical. A great talent and a great read.” 

— Naheed Nenshi, former mayor of Calgary

“Each of these stories is a small miracle, and I can’t wait to see where Bhadresa’s own star catapults from here.” 

— Amy Jones, author of Pebble & Dove and Every Little Piece of Me

“Sharply observed and gracefully told, Bhadresa offers a collection shining with all the unexpected delights and defeats that make up a life.” 

— Anuja Varghese, author of Chrysalis

Her prose is clear without being plain, observant without strain. The  sentences trust implication. They allow silence to carry meaning....What distinguishes this collection is its refusal to overstate its  ambitions. These stories do not strain toward spectacle or explanation;  they remain grounded in the particular, allowing complexity to emerge  naturally. Kirti writes toward clarity rather than declaration, and that clarity feels earned rather than imposed.

— Renato Gandia, Bronwen Wallace Award winning author