
Reach for this book when your child is facing a major transition that threatens to separate them from a best friend, or if they are beginning to ask complex questions about where they belong. Set in a post-World War II Italian orphanage, it follows Susanna, a biracial girl, and her best friend Pina as they navigate the hopeful yet terrifying possibility of adoption. While they desperately want families, they dread the thought of being torn apart. This gentle historical novel explores themes of loyalty, racial identity, and the meaning of home. It is perfectly suited for children aged 8 to 12, offering a sensitive look at how we carry our history with us even as we move toward a new future. Parents will find it a valuable tool for discussing the nuances of friendship and the reality that life changes can be both exciting and bittersweet.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewThe book deals with abandonment, the foster/adoption system, and racial prejudice. The approach is direct but age-appropriate. The book depicts instances of Susanna experiencing exclusion and microaggressions due to her race. The resolution is realistic and bittersweet rather than a perfect fairytale ending, emphasizing emotional resilience.
A thoughtful 9 or 10-year-old who is moving away from a friend, or a child who has experienced the foster care system and needs a story that validates the complicated mix of hope and grief.
Read the ending first. The separation of the girls is handled with grace, but it may be upsetting for highly sensitive children. No heavy historical context is required as the book explains the setting well. Parents may want to be prepared to discuss the historical context of racial prejudice in post-war Italy and how it might have affected Susanna. A parent might choose this after hearing their child say, 'I never want to leave my friend,' or noticing their child feeling like an outsider in their social circle.
Younger readers (8-9) will focus on the friendship and the 'pact,' while older readers (11-12) will better grasp the historical context of post-war Italy and the challenges Susanna faces due to her race.
Unlike many adoption stories that focus on the 'forever family' arrival, this book centers on the horizontal bond between children and the challenges faced by biracial children in a monocultural historical setting.
In 1950s Italy, Susanna and Pina are inseparable residents of an orphanage run by nuns. Susanna, whose father was an African American soldier, feels her difference acutely in their small community. When American couples arrive to adopt children, the girls make a secret pact to remain together. The story follows their internal struggle between the desire for a stable family and the fear of losing the only sisterhood they have ever known.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.