"Set in South Africa during the '50s, this extraordinary novel offers a vivid, authentic rendering of political turmoil and its effect on a Jewish family," wrote PW. "Readers will long remember the images conjured throughout this book." Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10-- Sacks skillfully depicts believable youth faced with adult problems in this novel set in South Africa in the 1950s. Elizabeth is pleased when her father decides to remarry, but her rebellious older sister Evie objects. The two sisters are not close, so it is a relief when Evie leaves for college. The peaceful existence of this middle-class Jewish family is shattered, however, when Evie becomes involved in anti-apartheid activities at college. Unable to ignore the political situation when Evie is placed under house arrest, the family is forced to think seriously about their country's value system. The story is told from Elizabeth's point of view, beginning when she is 11 years old, and readers see her change from an innocent child to a wary, perceptive teen. The teens and adults are all believable characters concerned more with their personal problems than the problems of their country. A moving, non-sensational book about growing up and learning that one cannot safely ignore political injustice. --Karlan Sick, New York Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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