About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is asking about the gray areas of history or feeling the weight of being an outsider. It is a perfect companion for the middle grade reader who is noticing that the world is not always fair and that adults do not always have the answers. Set in 1941 Maine, the story follows Gusta, a girl sent to live in a grandmother's orphanage while her labor-activist father is in hiding. It beautifully weaves together themes of financial hardship, the sting of prejudice against immigrants, and the healing power of music and family secrets. Parents will appreciate the way it introduces complex historical tensions like alien registration and labor rights through the eyes of a resilient, nearsighted protagonist who is just trying to find her place in a divided town. It is a sophisticated but accessible historical novel that validates the feeling of being different while offering a hopeful path toward belonging.
