In the Neighborhood of True is the story of a young woman trying to find herself while also figuring out the values that mean the most to her in life. It’s an absolutely beautiful tale, and for a multitude of reasons.
It’s a historical fiction novel set in the 1950’s, and it’s heavily focused on the racism and anti-Semitism of the time. That alone makes this novel extremely important. What is more though, are the lines it draws between those moments in the past, and the present. It forces the reader to realize what is happening even today (and for those that are affected by anti-Semitism and racism it likely rings painfully true).
Ruth is torn between the world she’s built for herself that she loves, and the world she was born into. She can’t have it both ways, but for just a while it would be nice to pretend.
Warnings: In the Neighborhood of True is unabashedly about racism and anti-Semitism. A lot of the novel is pretty heavy for that reason, though no less important because of that. There are events that are uncomfortable, and events that are outright painful.
In the Neighborhood of True caused a tumult of emotions as I read, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that fact. There are novels that open your eyes to what is important, and this is one of them. This novel draws connections between racism and anti-Semitism, connections between the past and the present. It all becomes unavoidable and undeniable.
I particularly loved how the novel started. I don’t always love it when a novel begins with a point later on, but in this case it worked out really well. It gave us a hint to where Ruth’s character was leading, and left us with more questions than answers. Naturally we couldn’t do anything other than continue reading.
Ruth is a strong and fascinating character. It was impossible not to be fond of her – especially when it was so easy to see how torn she was. She had an extremely difficult choice to make, no matter how much we’d like to overlay our own opinions on the matter. The truth is that while it may appear black and white to people on the outside, that sort of decision isn’t always easy. And I don’t blame her for her struggle, or for her need to fit in or go for what she wants.
That’s actually what made this novel so human. There were so many complex situations and emotions being thrown around, but it never surpasses what a single person experiences in their lifetime, if that makes any sense. Everything that happened in this novel was perfectly believable, because it happens so frequently.
I can honestly say that this was the first novel I read that delved so heavily into anti-Semitism and Jewish culture while not being set during the Holocaust. First, that says that I need to do some digging for more books of this nature. And second, it means that this book will forever hold a special place in my heart. So thank you, Susan Kaplan Carton, for that.
I think my one and only complaint about this novel would be that it was a tiny bit too predictable for my liking. I enjoyed reading about the situations and characters, even as I sort of had a feeling about where everything was going to lead in the end. As far as complaints go though, that’s not a very big one.
I can’t wait to see what Susan Kaplan Carlton comes out with next. Her writing style alone would have me interested in reading anything else she publishes. I’m looking forward to seeing what it will be.

"When hatred shows its face, you need to make a little ruckus."

So you would think that antisemitism is just as much a thing of the past as people saying "swell" whenever they thought something was cool. But hate and terror against Jews is just as real today as Islamophobia and racism. And I doubt this comes as a surprise to you. As it turns out, the themes of this book are just as relevant today as they were back in the 1960s.

In the Neighborhood of True is an OwnVoices young adult novel loosely based on the events of the Atlanta Temple Bombing in 1958. It tells the story of a Jewish teenager torn between wanting to fit in and staying true to herself and her Jewish community. After her father's death, Ruth, her mum, and her sister move from New York back to Atlanta, Georgia. Here, being Jewish often doesn't just mark you as an outsider but could also put you in grave danger.

Antisemitism and racism play big roles in this book. And while it was easier for Ruth to pass as a white girl at school, the author also shows that the reality for black people was often worse. What I do like is that the author managed to discuss racism without stepping into the position of a white saviour who is speaking for black people. When Ruth tries to do just that, she is immediately reprimanded for it. She wants to elevate herself by praising Birdie's (the black maid's) kids and is put in her place when Birdie tells her not to use her children's accomplishments to improve her own status. The author also talks about the grim history of lynchings carried out by the Ku-Klux-Klan in Atlanta.

I wish that the book had been a little less predictable and a lot more emotional. I often felt that the author only touched the surface of the reality of a Jewish girl that hides her Jewishness when faced with a squad of white and blond teenager Southern belles. That shit is frightening and while the was potential to really show that fear, it wasn't carried out. The events of the Atlanta Church bombing took place in the last 15% of the book, and if the bombing had taken place earlier in the novel, there might have also been more potential for conflict. I feel the same way about the romance in this novel. Sure, there was a cute guy with even cuter dimples that Ruth crushed on, but it fell flat because there was no chemistry, there were no emotions.

I did, however, like Ruth's mother and sister. They seemed to have more depth than the other characters. I would have wished for more confrontation with Fontaine, Ruth's grandmother, who seems like one of those people that would say problematic things like "I don't see colour." She often acted like the fact that her daughter married a Jew was a stain that needed to be removed. She should have been told off or should have had a moment where she realises that her attitude towards her daughter's and granddaughters' Jewish backgrounds is problematic at best, antisemitic at worst.

All in all, I believe that this story is timeless. We need to talk about antisemitism, racism and Islamophobia more than ever before. They are being normalised - on social media and in the news. Far-right extremism needs to be fought and eliminated, and although it will probably never be erased, it is our duty to spread awareness and acceptance whenever we can.

This was a sweet YA book that deals with death of a loved one, popularity, first love, segregation and religion. I really loved what the author was trying to accomplish, and I also loved that she was doing it in a fresh, new way, but it fell a little flat for me. The ending felt very rushed, and it just wasn't all that it could have been.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Brittani from Algonquin Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
You have to know English isn’t my first language, so feel free to correct me if I make some mistakes while writing this review.


Real rating: 3,75 stars.

Do you remember "Hart of Dixie"? That sunny and humid Alabama where our main character - portrayed by Rachel Bilson - moves into from New York? And suddenly there are young girls all around her worried about their debutant ball and girls her own age wearing exclusively pastel dresses?
That one - it was like diving into fictitious Bluebell, except we are in Atlanta, Georgia in 1958.


Following her husband's death, Ruth's mother decides to leave New York to relocate her family in the guest house of her own parents in the South of United States.
Everyone knows the Landrys and they have history and legacy within the high society. Fontaine, Ruth's grandmother, has been Magnolia Queen and so was her daughter - now she wants the same for Ruth.

There's only one problem: no one in Atlanta knows Alice Landry married a Jewish man, converted herself and raised her daughters as Jews.
It's something it has to be kept a secret if Ruth wants to have an easy life, to be a part of the better Clubs and to get the crown.

Ruth says it herself: she's a bit shallow. She cares about her hair and dresses, she wants to look good and she wants to flirt - sixteen as she is, it's perfectly normal.
She misses her dad and she feels a little distant from Temple and Hebrew because of that, but her mother wants to make a deal with her: Ruth can be silent about her religion and she can hang out with Davis and the girls from her private school, but she has to go to Temple with her once a week.


There's not really a love triangle - not literally. Max is someone Ruth can be herself with about her religion and how she was raised, but still she doesn't get him - not entirely. He's all about social justice and it's a beautiful thing, but I can't find Ruth totally at fault when she doesn't completely understand it. Because it's true hate crimes are a reality even in New York, but somehow it felt different in a place not so mentally closed as it is the South of United States.

Those were difficult years.
Years where black people were at white people's service, where they had to sit in the back on the bus, where being a Jew and inciting at social justice and integration meant to be a "negro lover".
Those were the years of hate crimes, fear of communism and Jews, burning crosses by the Ku Klux Klan.

And it's particularly difficult in Georgia, where the war between North and South is called "uncivil" - where they still feel attacked in their own rights.

But Ruth is sixteen, she cares about dresses and boys - one in particular, Davis. She feels guilty for her lies and because she has to hide a part of herself, but the other half wants the same life her grandmother and her mother had before. I can't blame her if she doesn't think so much about religion - I mean, she's sixteen, what did you think about when you were her age?

I don't usually like instalove - it bothers me so much. Not here, though: maybe it's because we are in 1958, maybe because everything was so fast at that time - with their families always around, teenagers didn't have so much time to be alone so they tried to get everything they could in the small time they had.
That's why the love between Ruth and Davis didn't bother me - we can think that a love like theirs is rushed now, but it wasn't at that time.


"In the Neighborhood of True" is not only the title, but it's also a saying Ruth learns from Davis.
It's something not strictly true, but close to it and when guilty starts to weigh on Ruth and a hate crime upsets Jews like her, she'll have to choose between the truth or something like it - between the person she was raised to be or the one she could have been.

The 1861-1865 war is something distant from my own history as an Italian girl - we learn about it as something that changed the world, but then we focus inside our own country at school, still I can't help to acknowledge how much important these topics are.
I was strucked by the way teachers at Ruth's school felt about Civil War - I don't mean to be disrespectful, it's not my intention. I had no idea the South still looked at that like an assault.

I had a couple of issues with Fontaine, Ruth's grandmother.
It's clear she loves her niece and she's trying to protect her, but there's always... something when she talks with her. It's Fontaine who tells her to keep being a Jew a secret, it's Fontaine who tells her no one in the city knows Alice married a man from a different religion and how they raised their daughters, it's Fontaine who pushes her toward the debutante ball otherwise she'll never be a part of the best Club.
It's clear she loves her, but there's always something that makes you think her mind is shaped like everyone else's - still, she knows how and when to support her own nieces.


I liked it, but the ending was a little too fast.
It starts in 1959 with Ruth as a witness in a trial, then we go back to six months earlier - but we see only two of those months. Like I said, I wasn't bothered by Ruth's interest in dresses and friendships because she's sixteen and it's okay, but on a second thought the pace could've been better and those parts kept shorter to give space to something else.
Because there's a four months time-jump after the Magnolia Ball and then we're back to the trial - I would've liked to see how the community reacted and how Ruth changed from the girl she was to the one standing there as a witness.

Still, it's a book I recommend.

Teenager, Ruth Robb, struggles with owning her identity of being Jewish as she is thrown into the social circle of "debutantes, sweet tea, and the Klu Klux Klan" in the summer of 1958 in Atlanta, Georgia. Ruth wants to fit in in her new Christian school and world of parties and pre-debutante meetings, but must keep her Jewish identity secret in the midst of cross burnings and bombings. Inspired by the true events of the bombing of Atlanta's oldest synagogue, the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation on October 12, 1958, Susan Kaplan Carlton created an atmospheric account of pre-debutante life in the South, while capturing what it is like to be unaccepted by the rest of society. Carlton's main character, Ruth, is met with choosing her true identity versus what is socially acceptable all while being faced with "doing [what is right] even when it is hard and heartbreaking."

As an English teacher who covers world literature with a focus on historical fiction, this is a book I am already recommending to my students. Ruth's story is relatable and relevant today as we still live in a social climate of hate. This is the first novel I've read that discusses the discrimination the Jewish people faced in the South. There is so much emphasis in literature on The Holocaust, WWII, and the Civil Rights Movement that the aftermath of discrimination against the Jewish people appears to be lost in our history. Carlton perfectly captured the 1950's aura, fashion, and etiquette in this page-turning historical fiction. Thank you, Susan Kaplan Carlton for opening my eyes and my students' eyes to the discrimination that is not discussed in our classrooms.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.



Book Series: Standalone



Rating: 4/5



Publication Date: April 9, 2019



Genre: YA Historical Fiction



Recommended Age:  16+ (mentions of sex, slight language, violence/bombing/acts of terrorism mentioned)





Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers



Pages: 320



Amazon Link



Synopsis: A powerful story of love, identity, and the price of fitting in or speaking out.

After her father’s death, Ruth Robb and her family transplant themselves in the summer of 1958 from New York City to Atlanta—the land of debutantes, sweet tea, and the Ku Klux Klan. In her new hometown, Ruth quickly figures out she can be Jewish or she can be popular, but she can’t be both. Eager to fit in with the blond girls in the “pastel posse,” Ruth decides to hide her religion. Before she knows it, she is falling for the handsome and charming Davis and sipping Cokes with him and his friends at the all-white, all-Christian Club.

Does it matter that Ruth’s mother makes her attend services at the local synagogue every week? Not as long as nobody outside her family knows the truth. At temple Ruth meets Max, who is serious and intense about the fight for social justice, and now she is caught between two worlds, two religions, and two boys. But when a violent hate crime brings the different parts of Ruth’s life into sharp conflict, she will have to choose between all she’s come to love about her new life and standing up for what she believes



Review: Overall, I thought this was a wonderfully well written book. It gave me more knowledge about an event that I didn’t have that much information about and it made the event more personable. The book shows the people behind the synagogue bombing, both the victims and the terrorists. The book has amazing character development and it displayed anti-Semitism and racism very well in my opinion. I felt it was very relevant to our world today, especially after the Christchurch terrorist act. It is also an own voices novel!



However, the pacing was really slow and the book had a lot more dialogue then what I would have thought it needed. I felt like, because the pacing was so slow, that I couldn’t connect with the book like I wanted to. The bombing was in the last 15% of the book and I felt like the buildup to the event was way too much. I also had a problem with the grandmother. The grandmother had an obvious problem with the mother and with the main character’s practicing religion. I don’t like that it wasn’t outright dealt with. In my personal opinion, even if you’re related to me I don’t tolerate any sort of hate language and I would never around my kids or husband.



Verdict: A beautifully well written novel for all to read!

A bunch of years ago, I watched a short-lived series about a Jewish girl moving from the North East to the South. She meets a girl named Grace and they become friends. That series awoke my interest in the stories of Jews in the Southern US, so when I saw this book, I wanted to read it. Ruth and her family belong in Atlanta, where her mother grew up, but in the interim, she had moved to New York, married a Jewish man, converted to Judaism, and raised her 3 daughter's as Jews. Ruth is 16, and it's 1959. She gets caught up with the debutante crowd and keeps her Jewishness a secret. Then the synagogue she attends gets bombed, and everything changes.

An absolute must read!

Even though this is a historical fiction novel, it ties in very heavily to the society we live in today. The writing in this was so well done and brought the time period to life so well. I was instantly sucked into Ruth's world from the moment this started.

I think this book will resonate with readers from all different backgrounds because of all the issues it touches upon. Whether it be the characters, grieving a loved one, or the social issues there is something that this book offers to everyone.

I loved that Ruth was able to find her voice and do what was right. That's a big deal in itself, but given the time period this book takes place in it's an even bigger accomplishment.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read this. It definitely deserves to be talked about much more than it is!

Ruth felt like a fish out of water, when her family relocated from New York to Atlanta following her father's death. She was immediately caught up in all the fanfare surrounding the pre-debutant world, but she quickly realized, that in order to keep her place in that world, she would need to hide a piece of herself.

This book left me with a heavy heart. The story is set in the past, in 1958, yet many people still experience similar things today. I did enjoy reading about this through a historical lens, though, because it's easy to forget that side of the 1950s. There were all those clean cut looking kids attending their sock hops and listening to doo-wop as we see in many films, but there was also segregation, antisemitism, and homophobia.

The heart of this story for me was Ruth's inner conflict. She wanted to be part of the group and enjoy all the galas, the Club, and a romance with a handsome boy, but there was a cost. She could not reveal that she was Jewish. Ruth was still grieving her father, and hiding the fact that she was Jewish was a sort of betrayal of her heart, as her religion was so intertwined with the memories of her father. Carlton did a beautiful job navigating all the emotions Ruth was experiencing, and I really enjoyed seeing her work through it all. I was actually really surprised by a few decisions Ruth made, and some made me quite proud of her, because I knew they were not easy choices.

Historically speaking, Carlton ably brought me back to that time. From the hair to the music to the lingo, I felt very immersed in the time period. She peppered the story with many important events from the early civil rights movement, as well as some lesser known acts of antisemitism, such as the murder of Leo Frank. I was engaged and entertained.

A compelling historical look at life in the American south brought to life with great details and interesting characters, which highlighted the difficulties and rewards of being true to yourself and taking a stand for justice.

This book is a must read. The message the author sends to readers is very relevant to events taking place in the world today despite being a historical fiction piece.

This is historical fiction but feels very, very relevant to today. There are a lot of anti-Semitic hate crimes now and a temple being bombed feels very plausible.

Ruth is Jewish. She's never had a problem before but once she and her family move to the south, she starts to hide it. She still goes to temple with her mom and sister, but she doesn't advertise it. She rationalizes it as being fine because it's not like she's lying; it's just that no one asks. (Except that's not true because someone asks what church she goes to and she mentions her grandmother's church---her mom converted to Judaism when she married Ruth's dad.)

She becomes increasingly uncomfortable, though, when Klan activity starts to ramp up. (Someone in her friend group calls cross burnings "lightings" and says they reflect Southern spirit. When Ruth repeats it to her mom, she replies, "I hope she's not a close friend" and all I can say is I want a spinoff of Ruth's journalism mother because she is the actual best.)

This is an amazing book and I'm glad I got a chance to review it.

Highly recommended.

I love reading historical fiction. This is especially true in regards to fiction that covers a point in history I was not previously aware of or a certain aspect of history I wasn't aware of. In The Neighborhood of True is that kind of book though. 

 Susan Kaplan Carlton's In The Neighborhood of True is about a high school girl named Ruth who has to hide that she is Jewish after moving with her mother and sister to her grandparent's home in the south. She soon finds herself torn between two different boys, two different lives, and what she wants to be vs. who others expect her to be. However, after anti semitic hate crime occurs in her area she is forced to confront who she really is and decide what is worth more: her true identity or her false one. 

The first thing I enjoyed about this book was the fact that it discussed a period of time in America and a situation that I wasn't too familiar with. While I knew that there was a history of anti-semitism around the world I did not realize how bad it was in the Southern US in the 50s. It was something I really wished that I had known before and really hope other people will learn. It makes me happy that this point in US history though was not only touched on in this book, but made the main focus. However, That is not all of what can be learned from this book. I had no idea that some people in the South didn't call the Civil War "The Civil War" and instead called it "The War of Northern Aggression." I also had no idea about the societal rules and regulations that debutante young women had in this time. While this book is a work of fiction, the issues and situations that are featured in this story are very much real. I admire a work of historical fiction that can discuss points in history that are not as discussed in other works and be as truthful about it as possible. The author seemed to do her research and made this book that much more enjoyable with it's factual content. 

Another reason I really enjoyed this book was the that characters and how they were three dimensional. This was especially true in regards to the main character Ruth. You understand Ruth's point of views and her situation. You are able to sympathize with her and understand the reason for why she is doing what she is. You get to see how Ruth feels torn between being open about being Jewish and how she feels in different situations depending on that circumstance. The torn between two worlds trope is one I have seen done countless times in fiction. Here though, it is done excellently and really puts you in the shoes of the main character. 

The last reason I enjoyed this book was the execution of the story. There are many times that I can predict what will happen in a book. However, with this book I really did not know what was going to happen until the last page. There were times when I thought it would go one way and then It went another. There were times when what I thought a person was suspicious of something actually was not. I really love surprises in a story and you will love this book if you like them too. 

There are 2 reason I am not giving this book 5 stars, despite the fact that is was very good. The first being the filler. I felt like there were a lot of filler pages in the text and a lot of things that could have been omitted for other things. Which leads me to the second reason I am not giving this book 5 stars which is the climax of the book being rushed. One of the biggest parts of the book is the hate crime that occurs, but it does not occur until about 60% of the way through the book. Now that is not too bad, but the real issue I have is that the trial occurs on the last few pages of the book and I believe could have been either elaborated on or could have included one more chapter or epilogue. The ending felt a little too abrupt for me and I wish more time had been spent on the crime rather than what lead up to it. However, these reasons should in no way discourage you from reading the book. They are just the explanation behind why I gave this the rating I did. 

Overall, In The Neighborhood of True is a well written surprise that brings light to a time in American history that many people may not remember or think about in regards to anti-semitism. The book explores the themes of being yourself and standing up for what it right, two things that we should try to do more of. As I said before I had some issues with the story structure of the book, but that should in no way cause someone to not pick it up. This book is a fantastic example of historical fiction done right.

Ruth is a Jewish girl who moves with her mom and sister to live with her mother's not Jewish family in the South in the 1950s. Her father died suddenly and now they have not only lost him, but his culture. Ruth doesn't know how to handle it, especially because her grandmother is pushing her to go the debutante route, which only works if you don't mention you are Jewish. How will Ruth handle it? How will she handle it with her very Southern boyfriend?

This book is really about Ruth coming to terms with who she is in a lot of different ways. Her mother, who did convert to Judaism, makes them go to temple but doesn't make Ruth do anything else or say she is Jewish in any way. I loved that, it felt authentic, especially from a Jewish mother. I also loved the way they talked about the congregation and the rabbi--working to help with integration because of their white privilege...which wasn't always granted them as Jews.

A large event really makes a splash at the end, although it's based on a true event and it's not overblown.

E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

In 1958, Ruth and her family relocate from New York City to a suburb of Atlanta after the death of her father. Her family runs the local newspaper, so her mother goes to work as a society writer while Ruth and her younger sister stay in their grandparents' cottage. Fontaine, her grandmother, is very eager for Ruth to be part of the debutante scene, since both she and Ruth's mother were Magnolia Queens back in the day. Ruth isn't wild about wearing tea dresses and listening to the girls speculate about her background, but she wants a social life, and some of the girls aren't bad. The problem? Ruth's father was Jewish, her mother converted, and Atlanta society at the time did NOT accept Jewish members! Fontaine says just to keep it quiet, but as social unrest starts to grow during the long, hot summer, Ruth starts to question her grandmother's views. She starts attending synagogue and meets Max, who is working with social justice programs, but she also meets the more traditional Davis, who is cute, popular, and likes her a lot. When the synagogue is bombed, Ruth starts to question her status even more, especially when she suspects that Davis' brother might have a connection to it.
Strengths: This did an excellent job of channeling teen novels of the 1950s (I have quite the collection, so I know this!), down to the pastel tea dresses and bouffant hair dos. It reminded me a little of Cavanna's Jenny Kimura. The real brilliance of this, however, is the inclusion of more problematic material. I loved that the debs had flasks of Southern Comfort in their handbags, that the back biting is more than just over who doesn't where cashmere sweaters, and that we have a New York view of Southern life at the time. Ruth's desire to pass is completely understandable, but so is her realization that this isn't really going to work. Very interesting book about civil rights in the mid twentieth century, but also a very timely story as well.
Weaknesses: While I understand that a huge plot point hinges on the fact that Ruth spent the night with Davis, this (combined with the drinking) pushes it over into the Young Adult section. I would have thought that Ruth's family would have been HUGELY upset about her fall from virtue, but that isn't mentioned very much. Yes, other things are going on, but the fact that her granddaughter spent the night with a boy would surely have sent Fontaine to bed with the vapors for days.
What I really think: I won't be purchasing it for middle school, but would definitely be glad to have this in a high school collection.

It's so nice to see Jewish historical fiction that isn't about WWII. This book takes us to Atlanta, Georgia during the Civil Rights era. This book is about confronting bias and racism, and it explores how Ruth deals with her identity as a minority and what that means in her relationships with other people. It's short, but it's a deep story. It confronts uncomfortable topics while also being entertaining and without losing threads in the plot. I loved this book, and I will probably buy it in print when it comes out. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating was because of Thurston-Ann. Her character struck me as particularly flat, and the other typical southern girls are too. However, I felt there was the start of a sub-plot with her, and our attention is pushed to her several times in what seems an unnecessary way if she's just meant to be another character in Ruth's story. I can't pinpoint why she kept pulling my attention, but she did. Her odd middle ground of flat/rounded character was slightly distracting. Otherwise, this story is superb, and I can't wait to read it again.

This is a beautifully written historical novel that will still resonate with readers today. It touches on love, loss, social justice, courage, and finding one’s true self. Even teens who shy away from standard historical fiction will relate to Ruth and her struggles.

This is a well written, fresh take on fitting in. Set in 1958, in the pre-civil rights south, Jewish Ruth Robb moves from New York to Atlanta, her mother's hometown, after her father dies. The only way to fit in here is to deny her Jewish identity. It’s even more complicated for Ruth because her mother converted to Judaism. Ruth’s Christian grandmother encourages her to leave that behind and embrace the WASP culture she could legitimately claim so she can join her grandmother's elite social circle. When observing blatant anti-Semitism and threats to the local Jewish community, she must decide if she’s willing to pay the high cost of passing. I appreciate the author making this complicated. Ruth is young, wants to be popular and is struggling to understand this new culture. The characters serve to frame differing viewpoints, shining a light on Ruth's conflicting feelings. Despite being set in a more restrictive era, the question of how much of yourself you hide in order to be accepted by others still resonates.

In the Neighborhood of True
Ruth Robb is a teenager recently relocates from NYC to Atlanta due to her father’s suddenly death. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she is a Jew in the South in the late 1950’s-1960’s, an era where Jews were seen as outsiders. Ruthie’s father used to tell her, “set your watch back thirty years” as they made the trip from NYC to visit the family in Atlanta. Her high society grandmother (a Christian)has told her to keep her Judaism a secret as she tries to navigate private Christian HS, a new friend, and the debutante ball season. Ruth falls in love with Davis Jefferson, but doesn’t reveal her true self to him. She is torn between her life at the temple, “feeling a part of something, instead of apart from everything” and being herself- which her mother and older sister encourage- and her new life passing as a Christian, being part of the popular kids at school. The book reminded me of the white women with all their society rules in The Help. This is a younger version as these are HS girls. This is a compelling and interesting coming of age novel as Ruth is forced to choose between her new life and her authentic self. I thought this was a great HS read. I am not sure if I would get it for my middle school library due to some sexual situations. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to HS level and mature MS level students.

The premise and the plot for this book were really good, and I wanted to like for those reasons. However, stereotyping Southerners doesn't work any better than other biases. I am sure there were (are) people like those pictured in the book, but I grew up in the foothills of Appalachia where my parents and teachers referred to the "Civil War" most often and occasionally to "The War Between the States." There may have been those who called it "The War of Northern Aggression" but not in the circles of my acquaintance.

I also found the characters to be cookie cutter copies of each other. I did not go to private school, but I think even there one would find various degrees of acceptance of a Jewish classmate.

I will not be posting a review on my blog since I only post books that I can recommend whole-heartedly.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF TRUE was a compelling read exploring racism, anti-semitism, and the nature of passing in the 1960s south. The protagonist, Ruth Robb, has to negotiate her identity as a Jewish student in a Christian private school, the sort of 'white flight' schools that popped up across the Southeast when Brown v. Board of Education passed. While the books takes time to explore the South's dark underbelly, Ruth is initially enchanted by its charm. Though I was annoyed throughout the book by how much she let's occur unchallenged, Ruth finally gains her teeth in the end. Overall, a really important and enjoyable YA read. The only reason I would hesitate to add it to my classroom library as a middle school teacher is the theme of sexual awakening that functions as a subplot. It is really tastefully done, but probably better suited for older readers.