Middle Grade Historical Fiction

I enjoyed this book, but I felt like for a middle grade novel it had a lot to unpack. The writing style was engaging although a few places were a little repetitive. I loved the characters and the tie-in with relevant historical events. The main character Ariel is trying to deal with school with an undiagnosed learning disability and with the aftermath of her older sister running away after their parents refused to let her be with the person she loved. Ariel’s parents were not pleased that Leah fell in loved with an Indian man who is in Hindu instead of a Jewish man. This is following the Loving vs. Virginia Supreme Court ruling. Ariel doesn’t understand why her parents would cut Leah out of their lives and she especially doesn’t understand why Leah would leave her behind without a word like she did. The story is heartfelt and truly a pleasure to read.