Summer of Stolen Secrets

Toward the end of seventh grade, pale-skinned Manhattanite Catarina Arden-Blume’s best friends “turned mean.” Bewildered by the abrupt change, Cat jumps at the chance to leave the drama behind when she’s invited to spend three weeks in her father’s hometown of Baton Rouge with her aunt Miriam’s family—and her Jewish grandmother, Safta. Cat only knows of Safta, who “rejected Mom because she’s Christian, and cut off all contact” 15 years ago, leading Cat’s father to disavow organized religion. The visit gets off to a rough start: Cat’s year-older cousin Lexie always has something better to do than to spend time with her, Safta is overwhelmingly judgmental, and the intensely hot weather doesn’t help. But while working at the family department store with Lexie, Cat eventually uncovers family secrets, smooths over rifts, and feels part of something bigger. Much of the charm of this intergenerationally focused story comes from Cat’s humorous epistolary narrative, addressed to Safta. The autobiographical and emotional roots of Sternberg’s (the Eleanor series) novel rise on the pages, making for a sensitive heroine and a tenderhearted tale sprinkled with Jewish and Creole history. Back matter features an author’s note. Ages 10–up. (May)