About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is starting to navigate the complex line between childhood imagination and the sobering realities of the adult world. It is an ideal choice for the young reader who feels deeply connected to their community but is beginning to ask difficult questions about justice, race, and history. The story follows a young Zora Neale Hurston in a fictionalized version of her childhood in Eatonville, Florida, where a local mystery forces her to balance her love of tall tales with a search for the truth. Through Zora and her best friend Carrie, the book explores how friendship and creativity serve as shields against the harsher elements of the world. While the mystery involves a disappearance and some spooky elements, the focus remains on the rich cultural heritage and the blossoming of a future literary icon. It is a sophisticated, atmospheric choice for middle schoolers that honors the power of a child's voice.
