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"Cushman creates another introspective female character who is planted firmly in her time and who grows in courage, self-awareness, and conviction. ... Cushman captures the era well, with references that range from Dragnet to duck and cover drills in schools and her father's aborted attempt to build a bomb shelter in their backyard." "Set in Los Angeles in 1949, Cushman's latest historical novel captures the terrors and confusions of the McCarthy era. Eighth-grader Francine admires her outspoken, precocious friend Sophie, who was kicked out of public school for painting "There is no free speech here" on the gymnasium floor. Francine feels muzzled at home and at her rigid Catholic school, "the land of 'Sit down, Francine' and 'Be quiet, Francine.'" Her worries escalate as Communist scares in Hollywood grow, and Sophie and her playwright father fall under suspicion. Cushman adroitly transforms what could have been a didactic story about intellectual freedom into an integrated, affecting novel about friendship and growing up. ... Sure to provoke lively class discussion, this will easily absorb independent readers in search of a rich, satisfying story about early adolescence." Awards and honors Parents' Choice Silver Award Back to book description ... about my books ... Please purchase this book at your local independent bookseller. |
