The Peach Rebellion by Wendelin Van Draanen

THE PEACH REBELLION is the first historical novel from the prolific and award-winning author Wendelin Van Draanen who first gave us Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief almost 25 years ago. Van Draanen’s latest work is set in 1947 California and focuses on three high school girls:  Ginny Rose, a self-reliant but very poor transfer from Oklahoma who is working at the local cannery for the summer; Peggy, daughter of hard-working peach farmers and childhood friend of Ginny Rose; and Lisette, more chic and privileged as an only child of the local banker. Ginny Rose has overcome many obstacles and offers a homespun philosophy: “As I reset the tire and pump it full of air, I start thinkin’ about how a tire is like life itself. When it springs a leak, you can moan about the flat, or you can patch it up, pump it full of air again, then get back on and ride.”  Peggy is struggling to figure out friendships, boys, and her place on the farm, saying, “If you don’t become your mother, I won’t become mine. I’ll figure out what I want to do, and I’ll make myself brave enough to go after it.” Over several escapades, the girls eventually combine resources to help Ginny Rose’s family and to teach the adults a few lessons, too. In her author’s note, Van Draanen explains that she hopes readers will “think and talk about why we label and treat people as outsiders, the lingering effects of economic disparity, and the fortifying power of being part of something bigger than oneself.” The girls, while strong and memorable characters, seem young and somewhat naïve, in part reflecting the well-researched historical setting, so this well-written and engaging title will likely appeal to middle school and early high school readers.