I am in so much of of how an author could write a story that is both a fun and sweet coming of age tale of a teenage girl (is there anything more complicated than being a teenager?!), but also simultaneously tackle complicated and complex subjects that make you think and feel and react.

It's the 1950's in NYC and Ruth Robb's father has just died. Her mother whisks her and her sister away from the city they call home, to what feels like another world. 1950's Atlanta to live with her grandparents. It takes Ruth no time to adjust to the endless glasses of sweet tea and boundless southern charm, as she slowly starts to enjoy spending time with the pastel posse girls, engaging in endless conversations of debutantes, dances and designer dresses.

What she struggles to adjust to, is where that charm tends to cross the line - the racial references to anyone whose skin isn't white, whose hair isn't blond, and the references that the KKK is always just around the corner pushing for segregation, denouncing Jews and Blacks alike, is evident in every day encounters and conversations.

The hardest struggle is that Ruth IS Jewish. And that just won't do in this town. At this time. So she hides it, and balances her new life of days with the debutantes dodging racial slurs and religious digs, and weekends at Temple, grasping at her heart and soul to stay true, and steadfast.

But then something awful happens, and Ruth needs to decide if she is going to fit in, or stand out. And it's a joy to watch her decide.

I loved Ruth - she is strong and witty and you root for her to find the courage to find herself in such a confusing and complicated era. In such a tumultuous time in the world, and her life - you hope she can choose wisely, between 2 very different conflicting lives that she's been living and struggling to balance. A wonderful story!

Set in the late 1950s, In the Neighborhood of True is an emotional novel that reawakens the reality of segregation and racism that darkened USA’s past and even haunts today’s America. As a very character-driven story, sixteen-year-old Ruth carries the reader through the heartbreak of losing her father and moving from New York to a Southern state where etiquette is inculcated through a pink book, her classmates fit the debutante mold, the boys are swoony, but her revelation of being Jewish is a dangled secret that puts her at risk from being part of the popular crowd.

Ruth is a very quirky girl. She’s smart and straightforward, and the entire book is filled with her determination to be accepted by her pre-debutante-obsessed peers but also finding that strength and balance to honor herself, her family, and her religion. Ruth’s inner and outer dialogue is one of the most captivating mouthpieces I have a read in a long time. Her engaging voice and character development allows the novel to steadily unfold into a story of maturity, first love, and a teenage girl’s bravery to fight for social justice.

In the Neighborhood of True was a constant page-turner of heartfelt characters and a main character that is not afraid to shake up her Southern town. The historical and fist-gripping hatred that is portrayed in this novel is heartbreaking, but like one of the characters points out to Ruth, “when hatred shows its face, you need to make a little ruckus. And you, dear Ruthie, made a very important little ruckus.”

When Brittani Hilles of Algonquin Young Readers first told me about the forthcoming In the Neighborhood of True, I knew immediately that I wanted to read it as soon as I could. I’m so glad she was kind enough to let me read an early copy, because I cannot say enough wonderful things about this book! Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and has been since I was a teenager. I typically read historical fiction set long ago, particularly during the Elizabethan and Victorian periods. However, I’ve been reading some more recent historical fiction lately, and I especially like reading about the era in which so many Americans fought for civil rights. In the Neighborhood of True, set in Atlanta in 1959, is a wonderful example of what can be so special about books set during this time, especially when they are based on true events, as this one is. It might seem like an obvious thing to say, but there is so much we can -- and should -- learn from history, and Ruth’s experiences in True teach us so much.

The characters in True, from Ruth to Davis to Nattie to Max to Fontaine and Mr. Hank to the “pastel posse,” are full and complex and jump off the pages. Some will find their way into your hearts, while others you will feel palpable contempt for. Being a Southern girl myself, I keenly felt the atmosphere in which Ruth suddenly finds herself, even though I was her age 3 decades after the events of this story. (The more things change, the more they stay the same....) The sense of time and place is evocative and exquisite, from the way the characters speak (in both Southern-isms and 1950s-isms) to the descriptions of magnolias and sweet tea and taking nips of SoCo. At the same time, there is a keen sense of timelessness to the heart of the story, which is fundamentally about discrimination and hate and othering -- aspects of our lives which sadly have not faded all that much with the passage of the past 60 years.

After a hate crime rips through Atlanta, Ruth must decide if “passing” is worth it, if she is willing to maintain the lie (or at least, lack of truth) that has sustained her new friendships, or if she will out herself as Jewish and possibly lose the sense of community and belonging she has found. Without giving too much away, I have to say that my favorite scene, in a book rife with incredible moments, is Ruth’s final conversation with Davis. The realization she comes to is one that I hope we can all take to heart, even when it is not “our people” who are being targeted and hurt. It’s hard to explain without spoilers, so let me just say that I hope everyone will read this book. Author Rachel Lynn Solomon perfectly captured my own feelings when she said of In the Neighborhood of True, “...I will hold it in my heart for a long time.” That is precisely what I plan to do as well.

Rating: 5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received an early e-copy of this book from the publisher. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review.

I really loved this book it was such a beautiful and powerful read Susan Kaplan Carlton’s writing is stunning and while the story was simple and straight forward, (it’s just a story of a girl trying to find herself there’s nothing big happening no end of the world stakes here it’s a quiet book but a powerful one ). It held a truth to it that I don’t see very often in books, (though that might be because of the books I tend to pick up). It’s a book that made me stop and really think and while the book takes place in the 50’s the subjects it tackles still ring true to today in some places.

Ruth Robb has just moved from New York to Atlanta after her Father’s death it dosn’t take long for her to find herself amid the world of pre- debutante/debutante balls, southern teas and etiquette classes wanting into be a part of this new world she hides the fact that she’s Jewish, making a trade with her mom she’ll spend Sunday’s at temple for the new life she’s trying to fit into and it works until a violent hate crime rocks her world forcing her to come to terms with who she really is.

I can’t describe the way this book made me feel, it’s a coming of age story about a girl who’s trying to find herself during a difficult time in history, it’s a story about first love and heartbreak, it’s a story about Activism against both racism and anti-Semitism and standing up for what is right. The way everything is tackled is done very well It’s not in your face it doesn’t take away from Ruth’s story it’s a part of Ruth’s story but not her whole story.

I loved Ruth and her family and how real they felt, I felt all of Ruth’s heartbreak and hope and love while reading this book, I loved Davis because Ruth loved him and I felt for all the girls she made friends. It takes a really talented writer to bring to life characters that you feel so much for and feel like they could be real and I aplaude Susan for doing just that.

I’m going to be honest I don’t know much about the south or about Jews or the struggles they have been though and are still going though and this is one of the reasons why I picked up this book, I picked it up out of curiosity for a people I don’t know much about but would love to learn about. This is also a #ownvoice book which made me even more excited to read it.

I would highly recommend this book I feel like it’s a book that everyone should read and if you do decided to pick it up I hope you love Ruth’s story.

Two things stood out to be about this book. The first was how real it seemed.  If you had told me this was a true story, I wouldn't doubt you for a minute.  The other was how much I liked Ruth.  I find so often in Young Adult Fiction, female protagonists are either way too perfect or weak.  Ruth was the perfect balance, and in all honesty, she just seemed like a regular teenager.  

Ruth struggles to be popular, get the guy all while feeling like she has to hide a part of herself to do that.  I think every teenager goes through something like that on some level.   While throughout the story Ruth is hiding something, she also knows what she believes in and nothing gets in the way of that.  Is she a flawed character, yes, but that is what makes her and this book so great.

3.5 stars
Ruby has recently moved to the south with her mom and little sister after the death of her father. Her mom is originally from the south means that ruby is now expected by her grandparents to become the perfect debutante southern bell to a certain extent. The one big problem with is that she's Jewish. This is a no-no for many people in the southern high classes during this time. Which means ruby can either lie and be who her grandmother wants her to be or she can be who she really is and not fit in at her new school.
During her time at school with the rich kids and the time becoming a pre-debutante she meets a boy who she really likes. Davis is the ever so perfect southern gentleman it seems. The only glaringly obvious problem with him from the beginning is his brother Oren who is used to using his charm and daddies money to get what he wants or to get out of trouble.
With Ruby's big secret weighing her down the more antisemitism happens around her and the more she learns about the true south she will have to make tough decisions that could ruin everything she's been working so hard to have.
Overall I did really enjoy this book. Ruby is a character that anyone can connect to. She wants to fit in but she also wants to be who she truly is the more time goes on. She's still grieving the loss of her dad and how her life has changed completely in a very short amount of time. She's confused and in love and trying to do the right thing. This is such an important book for so many reasons.
The romance part of this book I didn't really mind for the most part. It did all seem a bit fake though considering they both had secrets and we're from completely different lives.
I was so proud of ruby by the end and the decisions she made for herself and her family.

I found IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF TRUE to be utterly addicting to read. I'd sneak a few more pages in while microwaving the baby's lunch. Or while waiting for my older daughter to finish brushing her teeth before bed. Anytime I had more than 30 seconds free, I jumped right back into the book.

I loved Ruth's voice. She's frank, pragmatic and constantly caught me off guard (in a great way) with colorful descriptions of things. At first she doesn't seem bothered by hiding her identity. She values fitting in so much more than her faith, which feels especially far away after her father's death. She knows she's being shallow about it. But as things happen and she begins to form connections within her faith community, the racism in her debutante community only becomes more stark and uncomfortable to Ruth. I thought that progression felt very real, raw, and powerful.

The only thing I didn't love about IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF TRUE was an element of the ending. I don't want to give anything away, but it had to do with the way the relationships went at the end. Ruth gives up a relationship with a girl who wants to be friends with her, and I felt disappointed by that. Over all, though, I really enjoyed the book.

Susan Kaplan Carlton so perfectly captures the time period and everything southern without once veering into stereotype. Her characters felt fully realized and three-dimensional. I wanted to bathe in the 1950s fashion and entiquette, and the vividness of those scenes helped amplify the darkness Carlton explores as Ruth struggles to balance her faith with her social status while also recognizing her own privilege in segregated Atlanta. This one is going to stick with me for a long time.

My thoughts are so conflicting on this book. It’d probably be best to break it up into positives and negatives so that my thoughts seem to have a cohesive result.

Positives:
- The historical storyline of this book is one that needs to be told. Of course I had heard of lynchings and the racism in the United States during the Civil Rights era, but I had no idea that Jews were also discriminated against and hated so harshly.
- Setting. I adored the way the setting was described and how all the traditions were put into the book to give it a more authentic air.
- Portrayal of religion. Ruth goes through a very real struggle in this book: Is religion passed down or chosen? I thought this was a good and poignant topic to explore.

Negatives:
- Ruth’s character. This book was told in first person, yet I had no idea who Ruth was. We kind of jump in in the middle of the book it feels like. The backstory we’re given of Ruth doesn’t feel fully formed and that does the entire rest of the book a disservice.
- The romance. Insta-love at its finest. I thought it would eventually be revealed that Ruth didn’t really love the male love interest but that she loved how she “fit in” when she was with him. That never happened. The love story was portrayed as real, but I never felt as if it was.
- Love triangle? There was a set-up for a love triangle but it was never fleshed out. Like why even include the hint of it?
- The entire last 25% of this book was so rushed! Ruth changes her tune so fast. I didn’t feel as though the end was the end. Ruth “learned her lesson” without any real progression.
- Fake friendships. All of Ruth’s relationships in the book were surface level. I wish she had a real friend.

There are my summarized thoughts on the book. I think the idea is fantastic, but the potential was squandered by sub-par characterization. I hope people do pick up this book and learn from it.

This one's a good pick for Southern fiction lovers, and it also provides a unique take on the civil rights movement (it's set in the late '50s instead of early '60s like most books that cover the era, and the emphasis is on the KKK's terrorism against Jews more than African Americans--another take we don't see much). The story didn't live up to its potential for me, though. I'm not sure if Ruth's narrative voice was too cynical or too adult, but I was never convinced that she was as desperate to be accepted by the "pastel posse" and their beaus as she claims to be. It doesn't matter how many times she claims to want to fit in; we never really feel that longing, and Ruth never describes her new friends as anything but stuck-up racists. Ruth was just too emotionally distant overall. She claims she's head over heels for Davis and can't wait to marry him, but she doesn't seem to actually feel anything for him other than raw sexual attraction. We don't see her grieve for her father or seem overwhelmed by moving a town directly opposite of New York City, and she seems curious and faintly disapproving, rather than outraged, at the Jim Crow South and even the KKK's cross burnings. Even at the book's climax, I'm not sure how she feels about her new friends.


The book has its strong points, though. I love, love, loved Nattie and wish we had seen more of her. Carlton also nails the jargon and speech patterns of the time without coming across as jarring. And the climax is certainly exciting (if predictable). I just didn't buy our narrator.

That was…amazing. I was not expecting the effect it had on me. Ever so slowly, it buried me, languidly, very much a pacing suited for summers in the southern states. (Not that I’ve ever been to any of the southern states.)

After the death of her father, Ruth moves with her younger sister and mother from New York to her grandparents’ guesthouse in Atlanta, Georgia in 1958. Here, she is introduced to the world of debutante balls, sweet tea, country clubs, and Southern Comfort. But her new friends are all white Christians, and Ruth fears revealing that she’s Jewish will affect their perspective of her. So she settles in to wearing pastel tea dresses so she can fit in and get close to the handsome and charming Davis. That is, until the real world starts to seep in…

----“We’re sometimes fooled into thinking hatred doesn’t happen here because the magnolias are in bloom. But hatred cannot be hidden.”

The first thing I want to talk about is just the setting. We’re taken back in time to the late 50s, and Carlton achieves this submersion with so many details. The language, the fashion, the school traditions — everything comes together so cohesively. I found myself googling things, like Charga-Plates, just these tiny things Carlton threw in. We often think of the past as this Other time when things were so different, but this book showed me that life wasn’t all that different then — in both good and terrible ways. Teens were still teens, school was still school.

Carlton also achieved a very real family dynamic. This book wasn’t about flashy drama and suspense, but rather an examination of the little moments between humans that connect them, or push them apart. This was shown spectacularly within Ruth’s family. There are moments of unity, like when Ruth is simply lounging by the pool and joins her little sister for a swim, as well as division, like when Ruth’s mother and grandmother argue over whether Ruth can participate in the debutante traditions. There are different beliefs within the family, some more loudly shared than others; as you can imagine, there’s some disagreement due to her grandparents being Christian and wanting to keep Ruth’s family’s Jewishness on the down-low.

----“It’s the five-o’clock shadow—and I’m not referring to facial grooming,” Fontaine went on. “Jews are accepted just fine at the banks or the law offices or the hospital or whatnot. But after dinner? After five o’clock, people like to socialize with their kind. I’m not saying it’s right, mind you. But if you’re—let’s take a for-instance—socializing with Gracie Eleet, and you were to tell her your religious preference—“
----“Not preference,” Mother clarified. “Religion.”
----“Yes, that.” Fontaine twisted herself back around to the front. “The moment ‘Jewish’ leaves your lips, people’ll adjust their reactions. Until that second, maybe they think you’re Italian…or some Russian aristocrat—isn’t that what Miss Natalie Wood is? But once they hear you’re Jewish, it’s the headline—the only thing people will remember about you.”

Ruth’s family members were all fantastic, particularly her little sister Nattie, who liked to count things. Ruth’s mom was so strong, and she wanted to make sure Ruth and Nattie didn’t turn a blind eye to what was happening in the world. Even Ruth’s father, though dead, was integral to the story, and to Ruth’s development.

Ruth, on her own, was an unexpectedly great character. I found myself frustrated with her at times, but that’s because she was very much a teenage girl, so I couldn’t really fault her. She liked boys and fashion, and like any teenager, she wanted to belong. She didn’t want to shout about the fact that she was Jewish at first, but she slowly gained strength as the world tested her.

While she knew she was “other”, she was also aware of her own privilege. She could pass as just another white Christian, while the African Americans around her had no way to conceal their “otherness”. As she became more aware of the inequality around her, she rebelled in little ways to the status quo at first, like thanking the Black staff at events or in people’s homes, calling them “sir” and “ma’am”.

At this point, I’d like to call attention to one scene in particular that really struck me. Ruth had found out about her grandmother’s housekeeper’s two daughters that went to college, and when her friends came for a visit, she told them all this fact in an attempt to show that Birdie was more than just the wait staff. It led to this exchange:

----“Miss Ruth, a word,” Birdie said to me. We ducked into the butler’s pantry. “Do not use my children to impress your friends,” she said.
----“I wasn’t—“ I said. But then I stopped, because I was. “I apologize, ma’am.”
----Bam. Wow. This made me think, made me wonder if I’d ever done this to my friends, to people I knew. It was only a few lines, but it smacked me in the face. And there were many moments like this.

Another awesome thing about In the Neighborhood of True? There was no slut-shaming. None whatsoever. Ruth talks to her friend and her older sister about sex, and neither talks about sex being a shameful act. They have separate choices for themselves, sure, but they both encouraged Ruth to think for herself on the topic and use protection if she ever decided to do the deed. If a historical fiction YA can do this, why do so many current contemporaries struggle with it?

The book started out in the “present”, with Ruth having to testify as a witness for a terrible act, but when the next chapter went back to Ruth’s arrival in Atlanta, Ruth was clearly not yet who she needed to be to get up on that stand. It is through the course of this book that she gains the strength and courage to speak up. And that gradual change, interspersed with poignant lessons for Ruth (and myself), was an incredible thing to witness in writing. I feel like I’ve personally grown through this book, and now is definitely the time — with today’s resurgence of hate and white supremacy — to read this book. It should be handed out with copies of The Hate U Give to show young people that they are important voices in the battle against intolerance and inequality.

Don’t let that lovely pastel pink cover fool you into thinking Susan Kaplan Carlton’s In the Neighborhood of True is a light and fluffy read. It is easily one of the most powerful books I’ve read so far this year.

Set in the 1950’s in Atlanta, Georgia, In the Neighborhood of True is meant to be a work of historical fiction that explores the racism and anti-Semitism that was rampant during that time period. While the story itself is inspired by the Atlanta Temple bombing that took place in 1958, what makes the book such a hard hitting read, however, is that it’s not just historical fiction. It really smacked me right in the face as I was reading this book that the hate and prejudice main character Ruth Robb was witnessing in the 50’s is still alive and well today, as people now have to contend with Islamophobia and homophobia in addition to the anti-Semitism and racism that we still haven’t managed to eradicate.

I always root for an underdog and it became apparent as soon as I started reading that Ruth Robb was my underdog. Forced to relocate to Atlanta from Manhattan after her father passes away, Ruth, with her dark eyes and wild dark curls, sticks out like a sore thumb when she first enters the land of sweet tea, magnolia balls, and debutantes and meets the blonde, perfectly-coiffed “Pastel Posse” she will be attending school with. She very quickly realizes that she has a hard choice to make: either embrace her Jewish background and become a social outcast or try to pass as a Christian so that she can participate in the balls and other pre-debutante events and hang with the popular crowd at school. Ruth is torn because she feels like she’s selling out her heritage, but there’s a part of her that wants to take the path of least resistance and do what she needs to do to just fit in.

Ruth’s inner conflict is the force that drives the plot of In the Neighborhood of True and I think the author does a fantastic job of making Ruth’s struggle feel authentic and relatable. Don’t we all want to just fit in at times and not have everything be a struggle? In Ruth’s case though, fitting in with the ‘It’ crowd at school means hiding who she is and what she believes, and it leads to her living a double life and hoping that neither side realizes the truth, a double life that is ultimately unsustainable long-term.

Even though the story is mostly about Ruth and the difficult journey she has to make in order to find and embrace her true self, In the Neighborhood of True is so much more than just a coming of age story. It takes a hard look at anti-Semitism and at racism, shining a spotlight on the violent, horrific hate crimes committed by the Ku Klux Klan. These acts were gut wrenching to read about and made me all the more sad that it’s still happening today. For this reason, Ruth wasn’t the only underdog I was rooting for as I was reading. There was an active Jewish resistance movement present in the book and I was cheering them on all the way, especially since they were working tirelessly to fight anti-Semitism and racism. As a character in the book states, “When hatred shows its face, you need to make a little ruckus.”

In the Neighborhood of True is an important and timely read, but it’s also a beautifully written story. The author perfectly captures the nostalgic atmosphere of the South in the 1950’s – the music, the dances, the fashion and hair, the Co-Colas, and more, while at the same time, exposing that dark underbelly. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, novels with an element of social justice, or even just a good coming of age story.

”When hatred shows its face you need to make a little ruckus. And you dear Ruthie, you made a very important little ruckus.“

Susan Kaplan Carlton has written a compelling story that is loosely based on the 1958 Atlanta temple bombing. My mom was a northerner who moved to the south in the 1950s. I remember her telling me stories of colored water fountains and standing up for Land of Dixie, of debutante balls and sweet tea. It always seems so different from my own upbringing in the melting pot of Southern California. So I can only imagine how different it was for Ruth from New York city. Throw in the fact that she was also Jewish, and I think the girl must have gone through some major culture shock. I will never truly understand hate, it is just something I’ve never had in my heart. What is unfortunate is even though this book was set 60 years ago it is still relevant today. I like to believe that most people are extremely accepting of all people, but there are those few that just can’t seem to let go of the hate and the anger. I probably could go on anon, but I will spare you all!

Ruth is a junior in high school who finds herself in the deep south after the death of her father. The world of pastels and blondes is a far cry from NYC, and Ruth realizes real quick that she cannot be both Jewish and popular. Soon Ruth finds herself ensconced in the debutante world, trying on dresses, attending parties, and striving to be the Magnolia queen. And there is a boy, named Davis Jefferson no less. But is Ruth being true to herself pretending she is something she’s not? And what happens when the unthinkable happens and Ruth is caught between two worlds?

I found Ruth tremendously relatable and likable. I got her, I would have done exactly what she did at her age in her situation. She was all about friendship, and fashion, and fitting in. The romance between Ruth and Davis was so sweet and adorable, yes it was a little Insta but they are teenagers, seems to happen that way quite a bit. I also really liked Ruth’s mother and Ruth’s relationship with her mother. Her mother was strong and a bit righteous, but she let Ruth do her thing. Fontaine Ruth’s grandma was such an authentic character, I truly think she represented how her generation in the south saw things. She herself didn’t feel as though she hated anyone, however she didn’t think anything needed to change either, in fact she felt as though she supported Jewish people because she shopped at a department store owned by Jewish people. I also appreciated that she did not have some major epiphany and completely change how she felt. My only tiny complaint is I wish that the bombing took place a little earlier in the book, so we could really see how the conflict resolved itself.

A riveting and important story that I strongly encourage everyone to pick up!

*** A huge thank you to Algonquin for my copy of this book ***

To begin with, Ruth Robb, a clever and multi-faceted girl stole my heart from the beginning of the novel to the end. She is snarky, a bit sarcastic and has a huge heart. Part of the reason I fell in love with Ruth is that I see myself in her. Not only am I a "words girl" like Ruth, I am a Jewish teen growing up in a troublesome time. Seeing Ruth's bravery has inspired me to stand up to the anti-semitism in my life. In YA there is an underrepresentation of Jewish characters and culture and I am beyond thrilled that Carlton has written a novel with an honest representation of what it is like to be Jewish in a tumultuous time. Ruth is torn between the two parts of her world: the pre-debutante part and the Jewish part. In her pre-deb world, she falls head-over-heels for Davis, the All-American perfect boyfriend and enjoys spending time with her traditionally Southern group of friends for T&E (Tea and Etiquette). Ruth trades in synagogue time for time with her "pastel posse" and her boyfriend. She feels comfortable with these new people yet there is one barrier between them: Ruth has not told them she's Jewish. Ruth is afraid that telling them the truth will prevent her from advancement in her community. This book was an emotional read for me because it is so easy to get attached to the characters and I have a personal connection to the subject matter. While the events of this book are a bit hard to read because of the shock value, In the Neighborhood of True is an important book to read for people of all ages but especially young adults living in this time

Ruth Robb is a teenager hiding a big secret from her friends. She recently moved to Atlanta from New York City where she was raised in a Jewish home. After her father's death, her mom decided to move them back near her family. Neither of them has told anyone about their religious beliefs because of the conservative nature of 1950s Georgia.

Ruth current social life pushes her toward debutante training, teas, and various social clubs. At the same time, she enjoys visits to her temple with her mother on the weekends. Her two separate lives are interesting but it is just a matter of time before they collide. When a violent hate crime occurs, Ruth must make choices that threaten to expose her secret life.

In The Neighborhood Of True was inspired by a true event. The book’s focus is on young adults and addresses antisemitism and racism viewed through the eyes of a teenager. Susan Caplan Carlton tells a good story with relevant themes still faced by our society.

“‘When hatred shows its face, you need to make a little ruckus.”’

This historical fiction takes place in 1958 in a time where Jews were discriminated against by other religions. This showed a double life between Jewish culture and debutante lifestyle. I never had any information on debutante life and I was pleasantly surprised and a bit appalled with how some of these characters were obsessed with being the best and acting “proper” when in reality some were plain rude and snobby. The main character wanted to fit in with the crowd and hide the fact that she is Jewish. This novel showed heartbreak, healing, and pride in who you are no matter what you are. It taught me a lot within this short time period and I never knew that there was conflict with Jewish people back then. This book will offer you insight, awareness, and diversity. It will show you comparisons between what it means to be entitled and what it means to be comfortable with what you have. It will also show you that what you believe is the best could be much more if you open your eyes to the other things around you.

In the Neighborhood of True is one of those books that is so good and means so much to me that I don't exactly know how to write out my feelings in a way that will make sense. It is exactly the book I needed at this moment. The events of this book could easily happen today which is why I think it affected me so much. But before I get ahead of myself, I want to say that Susan Kaplan Carlton wrote a story that I expect to treasure for the rest of my life. I think I've said this before but I had very few books with Jewish characters in them growing up. It's probably why I read The Diary of Anne Frank so many times. It was incredibly refreshing to find a character as wonderful (and as flawed) as Ruth and to get to explore the life of a teenage girl struggling with how much of herself to share with the people around her. Let's get to the review!

With the death of her father, Ruth Robb and her family must move to Atlanta, Georgia. Her mother is originally from there but was able to get away to New York City, ended up converting to Judaism, and marrying the man that would be Ruth's father.

But being Jewish in 1950s Georgia is not as easy as New York Cuty, so when Ruth starts to make friends and catches the eye of  Davis, one of the most popular guys in town, she leaves that part out. She wants to fit in and with the help of her grandmother, she does just that.

But Ruth's mother has other ideas. She went through the whole debutante thing when she was growing up and doesn't want Ruth to get too hung up on it. So she tells Ruth that she can hang out with her friends and do her debutante duties as long as she goes to synagogue with Nattie (her younger sister) and her every week. Ruth reluctantly agrees but hopes that no one spots her there.

Little does she know that she will meet people there, including a boy named Max, who will change her life and her views in ways that her debutante friends and Davis never could.

Ruth travels between her debutante friends and her time at synagogue pretty effortlessly. But when the synagogue is bombed, Ruth's life is turned upside down and as she starts to examine her relationships and things she has witnessed, she comes to put the pieces together about who could have done such a hateful thing.

But will she cut herself off from her new life by telling the truth or will she continue to let people believe what they want to believe and stay silent?

I have to say that I was a little worried about this book going in. I was worried I was going to get frustrated with Ruth hiding who she is. Luckily, that wasn't the case.  She does hide that she is Jewish for most of the book but that doesn't mean she lets others push her around or that she doesn't challenge people when she thinks they are doing something wrong.

She is a loyal sister and daughter and despite her worry that she'll be found out, she never feels ashamed for going to synagogue or for being who she is. Her friends believe what they want to believe about her and she lets them because its easier. But when the time comes for the not so easy decisions and the hard truth, she doesn't stand by when she can ensure justice takes place.

Ruth is a perfect main character in that she is flawed but does everything she can to do right. And her development was a joy to experience. I also fell completely in love with her sister, Nattie. She cute as hell, helps Nattie learn the rules of debutante etiquette, and will not get out of a swimming pool if she doesn't have to. And their mother is a badass in her own right. She writes for her father's newspaper and will go after any story no matter how small. She wants Ruth and Nattie to be who they are and not what the world tells them they should be.

I also loved Ruth's friends too, especially Gracie and Thurston-Anne. They seemed to genuinely like her and once the shit hits the fan, still seem to be interested in some kind of friendship. They are truly just teenage girls looking for people to connect with. They didn't seem to have an agenda.

Now, if we're talking about Claudia...well, that's a whole different story. She's got all kinds of agendas and they include whatever will make her the Magnolia Queen. Claudia is quite the mean girl but in a 'you love to hate her' kind of way. She is mean as hell but at least she doesn't try to hide it behind a sweet facade.

Then there is Davis and Max. I get the appeal of Davis. I get why Ruth is attracted to him but as soon as Max was introduced, I was mentally shoving Ruth over to him. He's not the best looking and he's not the popular football player, but he's smart, Ruth feels completely comfortable in his presence (very important!), and he cares about the issues affecting the community. And while Ruth doesn't immediately see his appeal, she slowly realizes that he might be more than she originally thought.

And let me get one thing straight because I know what you're thinking! There is no love triangle! Ruth is with one boy for most of the book and that only changes near the end. Don't worry love triangle haters, you will love this book!

There is also Fontaine aka Ruth's grandmother. I would characterize her as a true southern belle. She teaches Ruth about the ins and outs of the debutante (or pre-debutante) world. The hair, the dresses, the shoes, the makeup, and most importantly, how to behave. But she definitely wishes the "Jewish thing" would go away. She is a woman who is trying to do what she thinks is best for the ones she loves but some of the things she says...yikes. At the beginning of the book, she pretty much implies that it's great that Ruth doesn't look "too Jewish."

I get it. She wants Ruth to fit in but damn! Living in a conservative Christian town, I have thought the same thing about myself. But me, a Jewish girl, thinking that is completely different than a Christian lady saying that to her Jewish granddaughter. Like I said...yikes.

The bombing of the synagogue occurs near the end of the book and is absolutely heartbreaking. While this book definitely has its light moments, it also has moments that will make you feel like your heart is being torn out of your chest. I went into reading this knowing I was going to cry. You don't go into a book about 1950s Georgia and think it's not going to have some tragedy in it. But the people affected by the tragedy come together and try to make something good come of it.

In terms of trigger warnings, I would say watch out for racism (the n word is used at least once), antisemitism, and hate crimes. If you have a specific trigger your worried about, you can always message me and I'll let you know.

In the Neighborhood of True is a book that I think about at least a couple of times a week since I reading it. I am SO GLAD that more books are coming out with Jewish representation AND not just books that take place during the Holocaust. Yes, we all have a responsibility to remember what happened but that is not the end all and be all of the Jewish story. Stories like this and so many other books out right now or coming out soon. (omg so much Jewish rep) are just as valid.

We need stories of romance and fun and friendships and fashion right along with the ones of struggle and death and hardship. This book gives us both. If there was any doubt, I am giving In the Neighborhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton 5 out of 5 stars. I cannot wait to reread it. I really hope you get a copy and enjoy it too.

In the Neighborhood of True comes out April 9, 2019

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's very unusual that I can read (and actually finish) a Historical Fiction novel. I'm just not a fan of the genre. But sometimes I run across one that has something that I actually am interested in along with it and I'm suddenly a lot more into the novel. In the Neighborhood of True was this kind of novel .

Ruth Robb and her family have moved down to Atlanta, Ga after living in NYC. In Atlanta she realizes that things aren't as they were in the North. Here her being Jewish hinders how popular she is and makes those she wants to like her look at her different. So, she neglects to tell anyone about that part of her. Suddenly, a hate crime makes her look at those she called friends and those who she thinks actually are.

As I said, historical fiction usually isn't my go to genre. But when I saw that this was a book about a Jewish family that WASN'T about the Holocaust, I jumped on the chance to read it. This own voices story was a coming of age story that I hadn't read before and that made it so different from others that we've seen before. The scary thing is there's also a bit of a contemporary feel and that makes me so mad and so sad.

As for the characters, there were times I wasn't a fan of the MC, but I finally realized that she was a teen and the things that were important to her might not have been to me now, but they could have been when I was that age. I also had to remember that she had to make her own mistakes. And I was so proud of her when she ended up making the right decisions when they counted.

Really the only thing I didn't really care for was the ending. It felt rushed, like it was over too fast. Definitely something I would have tried to stretch out or something. I felt like I missed out on something, but I also get that maybe the author didn't want to give that much time to the "bad guy/girl" and wanted her focus more on Ruth. Whatever the case may be, this ending didn't work for me.

This book is very different than what I would normally read. This is probably why I enjoyed it so much! It reads easy and I can take a break from the normal in my life. It turned out to be just the break I needed!

All I can think is WOW. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – sometimes you come across a YA book that just sweeps you right off your feet. The writing is so beautiful and the plot is so well thought through that you just sit there and think, why hasn’t everyone on the planet read this? And then you feel like shouting about the book from a rooftop.

The story begins a couple of months after the main events of the book, and being thrown into the story like that really just grabs you and doesn’t let you go. I finished the book in about two days because I just could not put it down.

The characters were so great and Ruth’s struggles with her identity and her longing to fully be a part of a group felt so real that I sometimes forgot I was only reading a fictional novel. I know what it’s like to grow up and feel that you don’t really belong, so this book managed to hit close to home. Susan Kaplan Carlton has truly written a story that will stick with you for a long time.

As much as I loved Ruth, Nattie was definitely my second favorite character. The little sister of the family was especially relatable to me because 1) I am also the youngest of my siblings, and 2), just like Nattie, I also like to count things. She was so perceptive, even for her age, and I just wanted to give her a hug. I also absolutely adored their mother, who really embodied the strong, indepent soul of women today (only she managed to do it all in the 50s).

The one little thing that I didn’t like was the focus on boys. Every boy Ruthie laid her eyes on just had to be scrutinized and deemed attractive or not. However, boys are a big part of the plot and I can’t deny that. I just wish Ruth’s first reaction to meeting a new boy wasn’t to think of how attractive they were.

This was such an emotional story, and I never wanted to stop reading. I also loved that the book focused on Jewish struggles in the past, which is something that I haven’t come across in past YA novels.

Thank you so much to Algonquin Books for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF TRUE…THAT’S WHAT WE SAY WHEN SOMETHING’S CLOSE ENOUGH.”

Set in the late 1950s, this historical ownvoice novel centers on Ruth Robb, a 16-year-old girl who’s desperately trying to make sense of the world around her. Recently uprooted from the life she knew, Ruth quickly finds herself immersed into the pastel world of debutante balls, etiquette classes, and dimple-clad Southern boys. With her old-money lineage and “exotic” good looks, it’s no surprise that she’s adapting quite nicely to her new surroundings.

The only problem? Ruth is living her new Southern life in the neighborhood of true — trying to pass herself of as something (or someone) close enough to her friends “ideal” standard. You see Ruth was raised in the Jewish faith, which doesn’t fit in with her new Christian crews’ way of thinking.

“JEWS ARE ACCEPTED JUST FINE AT THE BANKS OR THE LAW OFFICES OR THE HOSPITAL OR WHATNOT. BUT AFTER DINNER? AFTER FIVE O’CLOCK, PEOPLE LIKE TO SOCIALIZE WITH THEIR KIND.”

Yikes, am I right? But those “words of wisdom” come straight from Ruth’s very own grandmother who frequently encourages Ruth to keep her “religious preferences” on the downlow. Eager to fit in and maintain her new glamorous lifestyle, Ruth doesn’t mind keeping her mother-mandated trips to the synagogue a secret. But like many teenagers that have come before her, Ruth starts to struggle with the lies as she becomes more aware of who she wants to be in this world.

“I THOUGHT ABOUT FEELING A PART OF SOMETHING, INSTEAD OF APART FROM EVERYTHING.”

Sparked by repeated hate crimes, Ruth soon in thrown into a chain of events that will force her to acknowledge her beliefs and “make a little ruckus.”

Inspired by real events, this coming-of-age novel elegantly delivers a story of identity and what it means to find your own path to your true self. Carlton’s narrative captures everything from the joy and levity of first loves to the fear and hatred surrounding our nation’s racism and anti-Semitism. And although it’s set 60+ years ago, the content in this novel still felt incredibly relevant and important for today’s readers. The novel beckons us to discover who we are and own it and to be brave (more than in theory) by speaking out and speaking up for those that need our voices.

All quotes were taken from an advanced ecopy and may not match the final release.