In the Neighborhood of True

After her father's untimely death, Ruth Robb's mother uproots her and her little sister from New York City to Atlanta, Georgia. The main issue? Ruth is Jewish and she doesn't want anyone to know. Segregation and blatant racism still loom large in the 1950's South. Because Ruth's mother was raised in Atlanta, Ruth is able to hind behind her grandparents non-Jewishness. Ruth must wrestle between being popular and being who she truly is.I really think books like 'In the Neighborhood of True', are important for young adults of today. It helps them to realize that segregation and the civil rights movement are not things of ancient history but things that happened a short time ago. Desegregation here in Florida is something that was actively happening when I was in elementary school and segregation was still very much alive when my parents were in high school. An interesting topic for me was the situation with Ruth and the 'colored' water fountains. My mom was six in 1958. Her family had just moved to Florida from upstate NY.  When she took a drink from the 'colored' water fountain at a department store, she was summarily yelled at by a store employee. So these types of events are things of living memory.I appreciated that Carlton made Ruth a very flawed character. The fact that she and her grandmother hide that Ruth is Jewish so that she could attend 'wasp' country clubs and a Christian school made her believable. I  also think this is a reality for most teenagers who are put in Ruth's situation (especially in that time period).I loved that Ruth had two sisters in the story. I really feel there is a tendency in YA contemporary to make the protagonist an only child or child with absent siblings. I think this tendency is such a shame because for most of us our siblings are a major part of our young adult experience.I did have some issues with some of the dialogue. Sometimes it felt kind of clunky and confusing. For example, sometimes I couldn't tell who was talking or what they were talking about. Some of this may be due to the format of my digital ARC. I also felt that at times Ruth felt a little young for her age. I kept thinking she was thirteen or fourteen.The only other issue I had with 'In the Neighborhood of True' is Mr. Hank. I am a little torn whether his character was realistic for the time and place. I'm just not sure the outspoken liberal attitude of his newspaper would have been tolerated. I realize he owned the newspaper and that made him powerful and influential but I just don't see him not being shunned in his social circle.I really enjoyed 'In the Neighborhood of True' and it's message. I would love to read more YA historical fiction and I can't wait to read more from Susan Kaplan Carlton.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF TRUE follows Ruth Robb in the aftermath of her father's death, moving from New York to Atlanta in 1958. At first, Ruth is dazzled by the city, the debutante season, the people, and the fashion. But she quickly realizes that being Jewish and being accepted don't go hand in hand in her new town. On Saturday mornings, she's at the temple with her mother and sister, and on Saturday nights, she's attending mixers and going to an all-white, all-Christian Club. When a hate crime is committed at the temple she's come to find a home in, Ruth must decide whether or not to speak her truth before it's too late.

There is so much to love about this powerful historical novel. Firstly, the premise highlights an event in history often overlooked: the bombing on a Jewish temple in Atlanta in the 1950s. Antisemitism did not stop after World War II, nor was it confined to European countries. Ruth struggles with the challenges of being both Jewish and a teen girl. She is grieving from the loss of her father, shaken by the move, and desperately wants to make friends, make her grandmother proud, and maybe even fall in love.

While some might read her desire to be popular as shallow, I would argue the exact opposite. Ruth is seeking connections and seeking ways to make her new life happy. She's still learning what it means to be a full self, to find and accept your own identities with honesty, while facing immense pressure of social and cultural norms.

Another aspect I really appreciate about this story is its inclusion of other types of discrimination and hate. Antisemitism is not the only problem at this time; Jim Crow and other racist regulations and attitudes are rampant as well. Nothing exists in a bubble, and Ruth is quickly seeing how everything is connected.

In short, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF TRUE has one of the most honest, multifaceted, and authentic portrayals of teen girlhood I've ever read. This is a must for readers of historical fiction, particularly areas that receive less attention.