"We're sometimes fooled into thinking hatred doesn't happen here because the magnolias are in bloom. But hatred cannot be hidden."

I'm still trying to work out how I feel about this book so my thoughts in this review might be a little scattered. When I finally picked this up, I didn't actually remember the synopsis but I'm kind of glad that I went into it blind. CW: This book covers very heavy and sensitive topics including antisemitism, racism, bigotry, lynching, and cross burning, so please read with caution.

Although this book is set in the late 50s/early 60s, it's unfortunate that these issues are still very relevant in today's society. Reading these kinds of books that show how systemic these issues are always makes me question just how much we've really progressed as a society. Of course the majority of these books are written about America but in other Western countries and even in Asian countries, these issues have taken shape in their own way; and they're always so easily swept under the rug. But I digress. This book is targeted at young adults and I think it provides a good platform for introspection especially to those who struggle with their identity and with wanting or needing to be accepted. It's not perfect, but I think this book touches on these important issues well enough to start a good discussion about them.

Carlton does a good job in portraying the confusion of identity and the longing to be part of something more, especially when how you look already sets you so far apart from your peers. While I can't say that Ruth was a particularly likeable character, her desperation to feel some sort of normalcy after her life was upended when her father passed and they moved from New York to Atlanta, was palpable. I think Ruth's situation, the one of being who you are vs wanting desperately to fit in, is a universal experience that not only many young adults will be able to relate to, but one that adults are likely to have experienced at some point in as well. Part of me strongly disliked her for her wilful ignorance and naïveté, but I think that also made her more realistic because at that age sometimes nothing is more important than being accepted. None of the other characters particularly grew on me and we don't get to learn much about any of them, although I did like Ruth's sisters, Nattie (younger) and Sara (older).

One of the issues I had with this book was that there was a lot of information, and important topics were covered, but it could've had more. I'm not explaining it well, but I felt as if there was just enough to cover the surface and to start probing at some deeper questions, but if the pace was faster and the big event happened earlier, it would've given more room to explore the implications of the event on the community and on Ruth herself. Books covering these issues also generally tend to make me feel very emotional but despite feeling a general sadness/ anger/ frustration at what I was reading, I felt little attachment to the story/characters.

This was also the case with the romance because there was never anything more than necking with these two--which, I mean, I understand getting swept away by hormones and all that, but I didn't feel the "falling in love" that Ruth experienced. I wished there was more showing than telling! Unsurprisingly given the heavy topics covered including the characters grieving a big loss, this book left me feeling quite melancholy. That said, I believe the topics need to continue being discussed, especially through more own voices stories. What I appreciate about historical fiction is that there's always something more to learn; I knew next to nothing about the real life event that inspired this novel, but to learn even more the extent of violent and disgusting acts done to others was… harrowing to say the least.

Overall, this was a book that really made me think about our society and issues that will never not be important to discuss and to reflect on my own experiences with identity especially as a (former) young adult.

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for providing the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I read this as part of a blog tour organised by Algonquin Young Readers but this in no way influenced my opinions and reading experience.

A great YA HF book. Very rentable characters and so much accurate southern charm. Lots of history to be learned and also a coming of age and knowing how to do the right thing and stand up for yourself.

This was a good read.

Takes place in the late 1950's in Atlanta. Ruth & her mom & younger sister move to Atlanta from NYC & live on the ground of Ruth's grandparent's.

Ruth is a NYCity girl & she also has a secret, unsure if she should share her secret or be ashamed by it, but she is impressionable & needs to figure this out all in her own time.

Loosely inspired by the Atlanta Temple burning in 1959, the book touches on racism, antisemitism, love of family, traditions & a coming of age story, finding one's self.

I believe this was marketed as a young adult book, I never realized it until I saw a blurb for it while i was reading it.


Thank you to Algonquin Young & for Net Galley

In the blink of an eye, everything in Ruth’s life completely changed. Her father, her home, her friends- all of it was gone. She not only had to deal with getting used to life without her father, but she had to learn how to live in a place so alien from her own she might as well have moved to a different country. A place where the Civil War is only referred to as “The War of Northern Aggression.”

The south in the late 1950’s was not a welcoming place to people who weren’t white and Christian. When we talk about racism in the south, much of the discussion is justifiably focused on the oppression of African Americans, but they weren’t the only victims. Jewish people were targets as well and for this reason, Ruth’s grandmother is almost frantic to keep Ruth’s Jewishness a secret.

Ruth doesn’t exactly go along with this plan, but she doesn’t go against it either. She essentially followed a plan of lying by omission, but how long can she really keep it up? She tried to ignore the situation, instead focusing on the colorful and fancy Southern high society she had been thrust into. In an effort to not have to worry about lying about being Jewish and to not succumb to the grief she pushes deep down inside her, she focused her energies on things like boys, romance, clothes, and dances. You know, typical high school stuff.

Eventually, though, it became more than just her own secrets she had to confront. Her new life was not just finery, frippery, and high society politics, it was a life constantly confronted by open racism and hostility. No longer were the KKK and separate water fountains things Ruth read about in the newspapers, but were shocking things she saw every day.

Ruth’s journey was an emotional and important one to be witness to. It was nuanced and subtle at times which I think makes Ruth’s inner turmoil more relateable. Saying that, though, I did have trouble connecting with Ruth at times because of this. The story was told from her point of view, but she seemed so determined to shove her feelings down that it was hard to see the full picture of her character. This kind of played into the whole overall theme of the book, but it still would have been nice to see past her walls a bit more.

The setting and time period of In the Neighborhood of True was quite unique. There are plenty of books out there about racism in the south, but like I mentioned earlier they tend to focus on the experiences of people of color. There are also books about anti-Semitism, but those often take place during time periods like the Holocaust. It was refreshing to read a story that combined those two elements in a different way. Now more than ever stories like these need to be told.

Reading this book and the way people in Ruth’s new city behaved, it almost felt like I was reading about events occurring now. Many people still feel the same way they did 60 years ago, proudly displaying their confederate flags and vandalizing synagogues and black businesses. It’s certainly an eye-opener to truly realize how far we still have to go to eradicate the systemic oppression that is so ingrained into our society.

Full review on my blog!

In The Neighborhood of True
Author: Susan Kaplan Carlton
Genre: YA Historical
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ • ✨ / 5
Reviewed: Maya

This book explores being Jewish in the late 1950’s in Atlanta, a very Christian city. Loosely based on the events of the Atlanta Temple Bombing in 1958, this is an OwnVoices novel that tells the story of a Jewish teenager who desperately wants to fit in. Anti-Semitism and racism are main themes in the book, and Carlton has clearly shown the struggles, without any of the white characters becoming ‘saviour’ by speaking on behalf of the black people. The messages make the reader stop and think, especially because hate crimes against Jews and extreme casual racism were happening around 60 years ago. I think the book overall could have been more emotional and there were some aspects that were flat because of this. The writing was done brilliantly and the reader was transported back into Atlanta, 1958. The conversations between the characters were realistic, and there were great discussions on ways to be an activist. I recommend this for YA readers who want to explore quieter, less-known parts of history and activism.

This review was published on the 7th of July, 2020 as a part of the paperback edition publication date blog tour.

When I was approached to read this book for the paperback release coming up, I was already inundated with books to read. But after reading the synopsis and falling in love with the cover, I knew I had to make room for this book. Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for reaching out.

In The Neighborhood of True is a timely and timeless book. It's a book that deals with a family living in two different worlds in 1958 in the south. It could be written now. That's how much things have and haven't changed. The story centers around Ruth Robb and her family. They are Jewish and lived in New York until the death of her father. Her mother brings her daughters back to live with her family. To a place that is very white and for all intents and purposes, racist, but not overtly so. It's the time of the KKK and of people looking down on Jews, black people and anyone that doesn't measure up to the sweet tea drinking debutantes/ "pastel crew".

Ruth just wants to fit in and wants people to like her. She finds herself falling into the pastel posse and looking to win crowns at some of the local Balls. This makes her grandmother so very happy, but not her mother. Her mother wants her to embrace being Jewish and not hiding it. While she goes to the synagogue to appease her mother, she still is toeing the line with her friends and hiding that part of herself. This is Ruth's story and how one young girl is figuring out who she is and who she needs to stand up for.

I found this book to be simply written, but very well told. The language felt like I could've been in the late 50's. The author did a very good job of getting that right. The places and people described in the book seemed real. I was immersed into the 1950's South and drinking sweet tea along with these characters and attending the dances with them. This novel is beautifully written but doesn't dive too extremely deep into the conflicts. That's what makes it seem a bit more YA. All the issues are there, but told in a very careful manner for a younger audience. That's not to say that it wasn't dealt with, just a bit more careful than it would've been if it was for a more mature audience.

I would definitely recommend this book to someone who likes historical fiction told from a teen's point of view. Ruth is a very thoughtful character trying to figure out her place in the world and living with her feet in two very different lives. Until she figures out her right from wrong, we get to travel along with her in her thoughts and see her character grow. I loved her and watching her progress. This will be a book I will share with my teen daughter as it's a book that seems just as relevant today as it would've been 60 years ago.

These are sacred days, but even amid the sacred, we are compelled to acknowledge evil in our backyard.

In her stunning OwnVoices novel In the Neighborhood of True, Susan Kaplan Carlton transports readers to a time when Elvis was all the rage and girls received promise rings and varsity jackets from their beaus. Originally published in 2019 and now available in paperback, this debut book is “a powerful story of love, identity, and the price of fitting in or speaking out.”
This YA historical fiction book showcases life for a Jewish girl during the late 50s and what societal expectations surround her as her family moves from The Big Apple to the Peach State. Filled with pre-debutante balls, country club outings, and Tea & Etiquette meetings, this novel will transport you right back to the old South and make you feel like you are experiencing all these events along with Ruth.
The different angles this novel takes to show the injustices and prejudices against both Jewish people and African Americans in Georgia in 1959 is eye-opening and startlingly relevant in a modern day and age. Carlton does a great job of showing the world through a teenaged girl’s eyes as she grapples with wanting to be true to herself, but also avoid discrimination and fit in with her new friends.
This novel will make you not only feel nostalgia for carefree high school days, but also leave you aware that beneath the pristine facade was a world waiting for change. Overall, this is a wonderfully relevant book that will appeal to young adult readers and historical fiction lovers alike!
​

*I received a copy of the book from Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I was asked if I would like to participate in the blog tour for this book, I immediately jumped on the wagon based on the synopsis. With much reluctance, I have to say that the book did not live up to the hype for me. While the author tried to tackle important topics that we still face in our world today, the issues presented did not feel impactful. The real bones of the story were at the last 10-15% of the book and were raced through with an abrupt ending. I also found that I could not connect with the characters for lack of development and the writing style left me going back to re-read sentences at some points throughout the book. There were multiple times in which I just wanted to put the book down and not pick it back up again.

The one positive I can say is that this cover is absolutely stunning!

In The Neighborhood of True tells the story of Ruth Robb, a Jewish New Yorker who moves to Atlanta in the late 1950s after the death of her father. As she integrates into the high society of her new home, she becomes acquainted with the prejudices that are ingrained within it.

This was an interesting and thought-provoking read. From the very beginning, the story grips you and drags you into the middle of the action, and keeps your attention for the duration of the novel.

I thought that Ruth Robb was an interesting character because she enters a life so unfamiliar to her own, to the one that she was raised in. Immediately, she is torn between two worlds, the one that her mother wants her to stay true to and the one that she wants to bend to fit into. This story was a great coming-of-age story because it shows the inner conflict of deciding what is right and wrong, and making mature life choices.

Susan Kaplan Carlton did a great job of transporting readers to a different time and locale. She effectively uses pop culture references that are true to the era but also recognizable enough to us in the 2020s to remind us of the 1950s setting without being outright about it. While some authors are unable to fully grasp the "show, don't tell" effect in writing, I think Susan Kaplan Carlton really nailed it.

Being that this story takes place in the South in the 1950s, before the Civil Rights Act was enacted, the largest component of this story has to do with prejudice; intolerance and discrimination of those who aren't White and Christian - two qualities that are not only desired, but essential in the world that Susan Kaplan Carlton creates. I think that this was such a timely story because of this topic. Right now, 60 years later, we are still seeing this intolerance and racial injustice in our society. And Ruth's story of wanting to fit in, but questioning the people and values around her, is still relevant today.

A small detail I specifically enjoyed was the chapter titles! I thought they were quite fun. It's such a bummer that most novels don't use chapter titles anymore. Authors should do that more often!

All in all, I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it to not only teen readers, but to adult readers as well!

When Ruth Robb moves with her mother and her younger sister from New York to Atlanta after her father’s death, she finds out the world can be a very different place, at the same time.

With a whole new life in Atlanta, Ruth wants to be popular, and her grandmother, Fontaine, can help her get there. Unfortunately, she has to deny the parts of her that are impossible to make popular, like being Jewish. At first, she’s willing to do exactly that for her own pre-debutante success, and continuing the family legacy of Magnolia Queens. Ruth’s mother’s rules say that Ruth can do what makes her happy, but she has to trade off by doing what makes her mother happy and attending synagogue meetings.

Ruth’s voice in telling the story sounds quite true. She really wants to have it all work out, but what starts as one of the best nights of her life soon becomes the night when she learns that she’ll have to make choices about what to stand for if she really wants to be happy with herself. Sometimes being just ‘in the neighborhood of true’ isn’t enough.

The unique viewpoint in this book gave a great perspective of the struggle of being Jewish and discriminated against or attacked in the 1950s and 1960s. I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars.

When Algonquin Books reached out to me last month and offered me the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for the paperback release of In the Neighborhood of True, I very excitedly agreed! It was described to me as a timely novel about the importance of speaking out against injustice and of being true to oneself, and in today's world, there couldn't be more fitting messages than those.

In this novel, we step back into the 1950s to follow Ruth Robb, a Jewish teenager who has recently had to relocate from New York City to Atlanta in the wake of her father's death. To her, Atlanta is a brand-new world full of debutantes, cotillions, tea dresses, books of etiquette that dictate that a girl should form an 's' with her legs upon sitting down... and bigotry not-so-subtly masked beneath a sugary-sweet veneer.

Though Ruth wants to be accepted into the glamorous group of Christian blondes known as the 'pastel posse', to become one of them would be to deny her Jewish identity. Kaplan Carlton develops Ruth's out-of-placeness in a way that made me feel for her from the very beginning: she accidentally sits on the boys' side of the room in class; she pins a flower to the wrong breast; when told to wear red for school spirit, she wears an all-red dress while every other girl has a single red accessory; her new friends constantly ask what church she attends and question why she wasn't there for their Sunday service. Amidst her own personal struggle for acceptance, the Ku Klux Klan are active and there's reports of cross-burnings around town. We watch Ruth gradually open her eyes to the hate around her, and it's an excellent portrayal of a young person realising the reality of racism.

In the Neighborhood of True is a quiet, character-focused story in a genre that loves plotty explosiveness, and for that reason, it might not receive the buzz it deserves - but in my opinion, it's filled with a quiet power of its own. Speaking out and deciding at last to be unapologetically yourself can happen in big ways or in small - yet no less impactful - ways, as this lovely novel demonstrates.

In The Neighborhood of True is a Jewish own voices novel that follows the life and story of Ruth Robb, a teenager who has just moved to Atlanta from New York following the death of her father. Ruth, her mother Alice, and her sister Nattie go to live with Alice's parents, and Ruth's grandmother wishes to get Ruth into the debutante balls like Alice, herself, and the previous generations of their family. Due to this, Ruth doesn't tell anyone she's Jewish as this is frowned upon in Atlanta, unlike what Ruth was used to in New York. Ruth wants to dress up and go to the balls and go to the same school as her friends, and date the lovable Davis Jefferson, so she hides her religion for as long as possible. This book is all about finding your own identity and self and staying true to yourself.

This book is the only YA book I've read so far that focuses on Jewish protagonists without being focused around the Holocaust and World Wars. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this aspect about it, and loved learning more about the Jewish religion, as it has been a religion I've always loved learning about. This book writes about the 1958 Atlanta Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple bombing, which is something I knew very little about, and since finishing this book, I've learnt a lot more about. However, this bombing happened approximately 60 years ago, and this kind of treatment of Jewish and other religions is still happening in the present day.

Ruth Robb is a character most people would be able to connect to on one way or another. Ruth is trying to fit in with others around her age, so she hides part of her identity to ensure she can fit in and become friends and also date a boy she likes. However, during this time, she has to make up lies as to why her friends aren't seeing her at church every Sunday, why she's missing important debutante ball events, and about her home life. During this time, she starts to date the lovable Davis Jefferson and really just wants to impress him, so she also hides her identity from him also. However, when Ruth and her family go to the synagogue every Sunday, she meets Max there, and she is able to be her true self and slowly becomes more comfortable around Max. Whilst struggling with her Jewish identity, Ruth also struggles to learn about the racism that faces the black people within Atlanta as she sees through interactions of others with the housekeeper Birdie. However, once the hate crime occurs on the temple, Ruth is forced to come to sense with her identity and the type of person she wants to be within the world. This sees Ruth decide to no longer hide her Jewish fate, even if it means leaving her friends and new boyfriend behind.

After struggling the first 20% to get into the pace and storyline, I ended up really enjoying this book. I think this book is an incredibly important book to read around antisemitic hate crimes and how Jewish people were treated 60 years ago. I really enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of the book, as I was able to read the fiction side about Ruth and read her come to terms with her identity and self, but also learn about what it was like to be Jewish, and also black, in Atlanta in 1958, as this is sometime I hadn't read or learnt about before. I enjoyed the ended with Ruth coming to terms with her identity and her self worth in terms of her Jewish faith. However, I do wish that the temple bombing did occur a bit earlier in the book, so there would have been more of a chance to flesh this book conflict out a bit more and see the progression of Ruth and the temple come to terms with the events slower. I would have loved to read more about what happened following the bombing in regards to the rebuilding of the temple.

Thank you very much to the Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review and allowing me to participate in the blog tour for the paperback release.

"'You' he said. Just that. Just Perfect"

Name: In The Neighborhood of True
Author: Susan Kaplan Carlton
Type: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Family, Historical Fiction


A very very important read. This year I have made it one of my goals to open myself up to reading more cultures and authors that are willing to speak up about issues that we are still facing today like racism and Anti-semitism. I am very thankful for the author and the publisher for sending me this story and allowing me to learn more about this situation.

In the Neighborhood of True is a coming of age story in the midst of racism. Our main character Ruth is Jewish, however after her father's death her mother takes her and her sister back to Atlanta to live with her grandparents. Her family doesn't really accept her mom's choice of turning Jewish and Ruth in the midst of wanting to fit in she lies about her religion. Through this she falls in love with the South, and her new friends and the shininess that comes with being considered White and privileged.

However, Ruth soon discovers that all these shiny things have a price and aren't to be taken for granted. Slowly she finds her voice and discovers the harsh truth behind cross burnings and lynchings and basically hate crimes against minority communities propagated by the KKK.

The story had a very unique voice, which was my favorite part of the book. I didn't find the story boring, however it does get a little slow at times. My only wish is that Carlton, dealing with such a heavy topic decides to go the lighter route using a very frivolous and passive voice (who I enjoyed so much). However, it would have made the story deeper if more emotion was present, I think the story itself could've been more heartbreaking and thus more eyeopening. As it is, it leaves you thinking about these events but a little nudge more could've really gutted you.

I loved the writing, the author writes beautifully and very uniquely. The story is set in a different world basically where the same social issues of today's world are occurring, making this story so relevant in today's times.

--- 3 stars ---

I found myself reading this pivotal book at exactly the right time. There are so many layers to this book which takes place in Atlanta in the summer of 1958. Ruth Robb has recently lost her Jewish father. She moves from NYC to Atlanta with her mother & her little sister to gain emotional and financial support from her Christian maternal grandparents. Everything is new and exotic in Atlanta as seen through Ruth’s eyes. Teenage Ruth is soon falling in love and pretending to be someone she’s not in the superficial but easy to fall into all-white, all-Christian world that she finds herself encapsulated in. On Saturdays, she attends services at Temple with her mother and sister. She struggles with her identity and fears losing her new friends (the pastel posse) and boyfriend if she reveals the fact that she is Jewish, just as the father she is grieving was. Ruth grapples with major issues of anti-Semitism and civil rights. She is caught between two worlds and at some point must make a choice. This is a compelling coming of age story. Ruth is intelligent and opinionated. She is also young and feeling all of the emotions of falling in love for the first time. She worries about how her little sister is coping with the painful loss of their father and she watches over her as best as she can. I loved Ruth and kept turning the pages to find out her fate. An Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Book, this book is an important reminder of our country’s history and is completely relevant to our current times. @algonquinyr @susankcarlton #bookstagram #NetGalley #intheneighborhoodoftrue #goodreads #booksandmrdarcy #withhernosestuckinabook❤️📚

Such a beautiful book!!

It is so odd to think about the amount of time it takes a person to write a book, go through edits, have it published and know that the subject matter will always be relevant.

The story of family, love, friendship, race, finding oneself.....it seems to be an ongoing struggle. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you to the publisher and author for inviting me to take part in this tour, and thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was really intrigued by this book when I first read the blurb, I love historical fiction, but I've never read a YA historical fiction before this one. It did take me a while to get into this book because I found some of the plot elements and maybe some of the writing style either a bit boring (the debutante and religious southern society), or a bit jarring (the strange hyphenated words/sentences).

In this book, we follow Ruth and her family as they have just lost their dad and they moved from New York to the south of the U.S., where everything is ruled by rich whites, they haven't yet started integration, and girls fight to become debutante queens. However, Ruth and her mother and sister aren't Christians, they are Jewish and live in a place that now doesn't want them at all in their midst. Ruth has to come to terms with losing her father, going to a private school, learning all about herself with her Jewish side and accepting it, gaining friends and becoming a debutante.

I thought that this book touched on some really interesting, important and relevant topics, and I am really glad I got the chance to read it. I liked that this book has some really strong messaged conveyed from one character to another, and therefore to the reader and I found some of the quotes beautiful and very important. I did struggle with the whole debutante scene and I didn't really find it interesting or relevant, but I kept reading because I really wanted to know what was going to happen, and in the end I really enjoyed how things were handles and the messages this book brings forward.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book, it's really different and I found it to be a nice reading experience. I liked the characters, especially Ruth and their relationships (with her mother, with Mr Hanks and with Birdie), and I liked how this book had a lot of things going on, quite a few subplots, but after all that, the message was one of inclusion, standing up against hate and accepting oneself, which I find really important. I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend.

Do you ever have a book that comes to you at the right time? I think this book is going to do that for a lot of readers.

Carlton takes us back to the late 1950s in this tale of identity, racial unrest, and the fight for social justice. These themes are as relevant today as they were then.

I learned a good bit about anti-Semitism in the South during the first Civil Rights era as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

"We’re sometimes fooled into thinking hatred doesn’t happen here because magnolias are in bloom. But hatred cannot be hidden." —In The Neighbourhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton.


First thing first, I adore the cover of this book. It’s so pretty and easy on the eyes.

Few of the things that I liked about this book is that it shed light on the racial injustice done to Black people and also on Jews. I didn’t know much about hate towards Jews but this book sparked my interest to seek more knowledge on that.

So here, we have 16-year old Ruth Robb who moved from New York to Atlanta together with her mother and younger sister after the death of her Jewish father. I liked that Ruth Robb’s naivety was not shadowed. She was well portrayed as a teenager who knew not much and had a lot of growing up to do and also made wrong choices. In order to fit in the society that doesn’t care much for Black people and Jewish people, she decided to “white-lie” about her background.

In The Neighbourhood of True set in 1958 and it was about Ruth’s coming of age but it also highlighted the racial injustice and discrimination and it is just crazy how this same thing is still been fought against in 2020! It showed history of how there was two of everything to separate the whites and the Blacks. Two water fountains, Two Bibles in a court of law, Two of this, Two of that. There was segregation and it was just to say Blacks weren’t people. The advent and the deeds of the KKK were also talked about; how they set fires on crosses on their Stone Mountain, bomb temples and so on. This book was pretty enlightening.

Asides that, I didn’t like much of what else was going on. I definitely didn’t like the misleading synopsis of this book which indicated that there was a love triangle but hmm, there wasn’t actually any love triangle in my opinion.

I also didn’t care much for the whole queen stuff and the fake friendships. I honestly wished Ruth had an actual friend in Atlanta, not just those phonies who skipped off when they realised she was Jewish.

It was a good read, though I struggled a bit with it, no thanks to the brief illness I had when I started reading it. It took my reading vibe. But you need a YA read that highlights racial discrimination against Blacks and Jewish people, here is a recommendation for you.

I got the e-copy of this from Algonquin Books in exchange for a honest review. Happy Paperback Publication Day.

Love
Identity
Truth

In the summer of 1958, Ruth Robb’s life was suddenly uprooted after the death of her father. Moving from NY to Atlanta, Ruth, a Junior in high school tries to fit in, and that means blending in with the white debutantes and Christian clubs. With her heart falling quickly for Davis Jefferson, this meant only one thing, and that was to hide her being Jewish. However, Ruth’s mother still made her go to temple weekly, and there she met Max who was serious about fighting for social justice. Ruth finds herself in the crossroads between Davis and Max, and her true identity. This was a powerful book that touched upon current and relevant themes of racism, antisemitism, and identity. I really admire md Carlton’s writing as she delivered realistic and relatable characters for readers both young and old.

I really enjoyed this one.

⭐⭐⭐💫

I received an advance copy for the paperback release of this book (OUT TODAY) via Algonquin Young Readers and Susan Kaplan Carlton (so thank you so much)!

In the 1950s, GA was the epitome of racism and divided communities, so when Ruth and her immediate family (who are Jewish) moves from New York to GA after her father passes away, we witness Ruth struggling with her identity as she tries to fit in.

Though I found myself taking a while to get invested in this book (though that could just be me as YA books are generally hit or miss for me), this is a beautifully written story that I found to be prevalent with what is going on right now in reality. Overall, this is an important and vital book about identity and accountability and watching Ruth find herself and tell her truth through this difficult time was so powerful.

Many thanks to @algonquinyr and @susankcarlton for letting us join in on the blog/IG tour!