Almost two years ago, Junauda Petrus made her stunning YA debut with her novel The Stars and the Blackness Between Them, introducing Audre and Mabel’s love story.
Today, Petrus announced that Audre and Mabel will be making their way to the big screen. In an Instagram post, Petrus revealed that for the past year, she’s been writing a film adaptation of the book. The film is still in the early development stages, but there is currently a yet-to-be-announced director attached, as well a production team.
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them is written from the POVs of both Audre and Mabel, who are both 16. After her religious mother catches her with her girlfriend, Audre is sent away from Trinidad to live with her father, devastated and heart-broken. In Minneapolis, Mabel works through some of her own confusing feelings. She soon learns that her father’s friend and daughter will be joining them for dinner one night, who just so happen to be Audre and her dad. The two girls quickly form a deep bond with one another, and as they grow closer, they learn how to care for and love each other even when everything feels impossible.
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them is a beautifully crafted story, full of sadness, tenderness, and joy. Petrus writes through an open-minded lens, creating two wholly unique characters who can teach everyone a thing or two.
While we still don’t know too much about the upcoming adaptation, there’s no doubt that with Petrus behind the project, the film will be just as beautiful as her book. We can’t wait to see what she has in store.
Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.
