The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati

THE SWEET BLUE DISTANCE by Sara Donati is a work of historical fiction set in 1857 which describes the many adventures and resourcefulness of Carrie Ballentyne, a young nurse and midwife. First, there is the sometimes harrowing travel – via train, riverboat, stage, and horseback – from New York State to Sante Fe where she has accepted a position with a Dr. Markham. Both along the way and once in Sante Fe, this young woman finds her beliefs tested as she faces hypocrisy and bigotry (against women and people of different races or classes). The book is quite long and Donati stresses this cultural bias to the point where her modern perspective almost overrides the historical one. However, the story’s action (many births and medical emergencies), elements of mystery, and a romantic subplot will likely keep readers engaged. With so much involved, the author provides a detailed list of the cast of characters and their families, a Spanish-English glossary, and a robust bibliography. Carrie proves herself to be very resilient, mirroring her own mother’s advice: “You are the daughter of strong women and equal to whatever challenges you meet. Missteps are inevitable, but you will find your way.”  

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende

THE WIND KNOWS MY NAME has a stunning cover and is the latest work of historical fiction by Isabel Allende, an award winning author long fascinated by questions related to the immigrant experience (The Japanese Lover; In the Midst of Winter). Here, Allende relates the story of Samuel, a young Jew from Vienna and part of the Kindertransport; of Leticia, whose family was killed at the 1981 El Mozote massacre; and of Anita, a young, partially blind girl from El Salvador who was separated from her mother in 2019 by the US border police. Allende definitely evokes empathy for these characters. Each story is harrowing in its own way, but this very emotional novel ultimately ends on a hopeful note as they coalesce into a family unit of sorts. THE WIND KNOWS MY NAME received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly.

Coming of age stories by Aleman and Berg

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN by Daniel Aleman (Indivisible) is a young adult novel which features a sixteen year-old main character, Maria de la Soledad (called Sol), who clearly struggles with age appropriate identity issues: “even when I try my hardest to be Sol [sun/happy], Soledad [solitude/lonely] has a way of winning ...” All of that is complicated by her status as an American citizen although the rest of her family (including two brothers) have Mexican citizenship and live in Tijuana. The text deals with themes of grief, responsibility, immigration, racism, familial ties and expectations. Sol crosses the border each day to go to school and eventually moves North to continue high school and live with friends while working part-time to support her family. I personally found the effort she made to be crushing and unfair. It reminded me of a cousin who, with little guidance, chose to work 40 hours a week during high school and is now a widow with four young children, perpetuating a life of limited opportunity, even though her siblings graduated college and enjoy six figure incomes. BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN highlights the tensions and pressures faced by students who do not have a strong safety net and adult support. Sol’s deceased Mami was correct when she stressed the importance of education and I do think that teachers would have been more aware and understanding, but they are mere shadows in this story. Sol perseveres, though – she is resilient despite the loneliness she faces. Fortunately, friends like Ari (plus her mother, Nancy) and co-worker Nick fill some of the gap and reinforce a sense of hope. The publisher provides an online book club guide with discussion questions for this emotional text.

In EARTH'S THE RIGHT PLACE FOR LOVE Elizabeth Berg offers a prequel to The Story of Arthur Truluv, sharing Arthur’s coming of age story as a teenager in 1947 Mason, Missouri. The story reflects Berg’s typically gentle, heartwarming writing style, but there is not much action. Arthur falls in love and deals with several family situations, particularly his relationship with his older brother, Frank. Praised by authors like Adriana Trigiani (Big Stone Gap), Rachel Joyce (Miss Benson’s Beetle), and Debbie Macomber, EARTH'S THE RIGHT PLACE FOR LOVE is sure to please loyal Berg readers who will enjoy this relatively short novel with its small town setting and homespun feel.

Lincoln Award - Illinois Teen Readers' Choice

Online voting is underway through mid-March for the 2021 Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award. Each year, we publish a libguide with information on the nominees; here is the link for the 2021 nominees.  AND the 2022 list has just been released. Taking this opportunity to comment on a couple of the newer titles:

WE ARE NOT FROM HERE by Jenny Torres Sanchez is an absolutely stunning read which received multiple starred reviews and numerous accolades, including being named a Pura Belpré 2021 Young Adult Author Honor Book. The action-packed story focuses on the lives of three young people who are fleeing Guatemala.  As they follow the infamous train known as La Bestia north through Mexico, Pulga, Chico, and Pequena face a dangerous, brutally difficult journey. Kirkus describes WE ARE NOT FROM HERE as “a gripping, heart-wrenching, and thrilling tale of survival.” The short chapters will keep students reading and relevance to current headlines will further enrich discussions.

One of the selections from the student nominated committee for the Lincoln Award, PUNCHING THE AIR by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam is an #OwnVoices novel told in verse, like this:

On the day of my conviction

I memorize

              my inmate number

              my crime

              my time

              On the day of my conviction

              I forget

              my school ID number

 my top three colleges

 my class schedule

Amal’s wrongful conviction and incarceration are eloquently described by Zoboi (American Street) and prison reform activist Salaam. The unjust treatment, physical intimidation, and solitary confinement drive the rage, confusion, and deep sadness which Amal feels. His art – painting and poetry – provide an outlet in this powerful, thought-provoking work which highlights the school-to-prison pipeline and other issues of systemic injustice. Reminiscent of earlier books by Walter Dean Myers (Monster) or Paul Volponi (Black and White), PUNCHING THE AIR received universal starred reviews (Kirkus: “a must-read”) and is recommended especially for fans of Jason Reynolds and Elizabeth Acevedo. 

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins is my favorite book of this young year. A harrowing story of flight that I could not put down, Cummins’ title has also received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Yet, this tale of a young Mexican mother, Lydia, trying to flee the cartel with her eight-year-old son, Luca, has also produced quite a bit of controversy.  One side (how can someone who is not Mexican tell this story?) appeared in The New York Times. Lauren Groff acknowledges feeling “deeply ambivalent” in her recent review.  Whereas Kathleen Parker (herself no stranger to controversy) argues that critics are censoring the author based on her background in today’s Washington Post.  I agree and wish that we were focused instead on Cummins’ beautiful writing and on the dangers and violence South of the US border. Interest in and requests for AMERICAN DIRT are high and we will need multiple copies, allowing our readers to make their own evaluations, and hopefully changing perspectives as Cummins wishes, saying, “We seldom think of them [migrants and refugees] as our fellow human beings. … people who can contribute to their own bright futures, and to ours, as so many generations of oft-reviled immigrants have done before them.”

AMERICAN DIRT should be considered as a possible addition to the curriculum (perhaps replacing La Linea or Enrique’s Journey for some classes), especially given our work on equity issues this year.  Cummins is relentless in describing the fear that Lydia and Luca experience: “Lydia’s worried about so many things she can’t pin one down to examine it.  She’s worried about being out in the open like this, about being recognized. Whenever someone looks at her and then looks at their cell phone, there’s a little racehorse of adrenaline that clobbers through her body.” Pairing this new work with novels by Latinx writers*, perhaps including the non-fiction text My Time Among The Whites by Jennine Capó Crucet, has the potential to build empathy and to generate some amazing conversations. In her author’s note, Cummins explains that she “hoped to present one of those unique personal stories – a work of fiction – as a way to honor the hundreds of thousands of stories we may never get to hear.”

*Cummins acknowledges and recommends reading the works of Luis Alberto Urrea, Oscar Martinez, Sonia Nazario, Jennifer Clement, Valeria Luiselli, and Reyna Grande, all of whom are in our collection.