Publishers Weekly
★ 05/13/2019
Following her Jewish father’s death, Ruth Robb moves from New York City to Atlanta in the summer of 1958. Ruth, her mother, and her younger sister, Nattie, live in her grandparents’ guesthouse, and Ruth encounters differences surrounding life in the South, where lipstick melts, a girdle goes on more easily when it’s stored in the freezer, and her world seems shaped by balls, clubs, debs, comportment, and etiquette. Ruth makes fast friendships with Gracie, Claudia, and Thurston-Ann, and she develops a crush on charming Davis, but she remains “secretly Jewish,” attending synagogue on the sly. Her mother, a local reporter, encourages her to be honest and an individual, but Ruth thinks that it feels “good to be part of a whole, even something flowery, even something brown around the edges.” When a hate crime shakes the town, Ruth develops larger concerns than keeping her dance card full and must reassess who she wants to be and who she will stand beside. Carlton captures the racism, anti-Semitism, and social interactions of the time and place with admirable nuance. The dialogue and setting are meticulously constructed, and readers will feel the humidity and tension rising with each chapter. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Carlton captures the racism, anti-Semitism, and social interactions of the time and place with admirable nuance. The dialogue and setting are meticulously constructed, and readers will feel the humidity and tension rising with each chapter.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “Susan Kaplan Carlton offers a rich sense of time and place and a compelling profile in courage of a conflicted 17-year-old finding her voice in this interesting snapshot of a little-known chapter of the early civil rights movement.” —The Buffalo News “Every character is memorable and complex, and the plot quickly becomes engrossing . . . the characters' moral decisions are so complicated and so surprising that many people will be kept spellbound by even the tiniest detail. Riveting.” —Kirkus Reviews “Carlton does an excellent job of mixing the personal with the historical . . . Ruth crisply relays her conflicted feelings, the tense situations, and characters who are well-shaded and occasionally surprising.” —Booklist “In the Neighborhood of True, inspired by real-life events, is a testament to an important time in our country's history with themes that resonate today.” —Shelf Awareness “Inspired by the 1958 bombing of an Atlanta synagogue, this novel uses its immersive historical setting to convey truths about hatred that remain relevant today . . . Timely YA historical fiction that belongs on all shelves.” —School Library Journal “A gorgeous story about a teenage girl finding her voice in the face of hate, heartbreak, and injustice.” —Nova Ren Suma, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Room Away from the Wolves “Susan Kaplan Carlton’s snapshot of 1958 Atlanta is both exquisite and harrowing, and I will hold it in my heart for a long time.” —Rachel Lynn Solomon, author of You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone and Our Year of Maybe “You might not think a book set in 1959 could feel wildly relevant, but wow does this YA set in Atlanta that explores anti-Semitism in the south during the Civil Rights era feel incredibly on point after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. In both cases, the synagogue was specifically targeted for being not just a place of worship for Jews but for being active participants in the eternal American fight against racism.” —Barnes Noble Teen Blog “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.” —Young Adult Books Central “I loved this book. The characters are complex and relatable . . . Carlton captures the emotions and the struggle perfectly, making it a great place to find representation of what it’s like to be Jewish then and now.” —Teenreads “In the Neighborhood of True is a story that really struck a chord with me. It highlights issues that remain as relevant then as they are now. It reminded us that we can’t truly hide ourselves, not when it matters the most. Most important of all, it reminds the reader that we must always tell our truths, no matter how hard it might be for others to hear them.” —The Nerd Daily
School Library Journal
04/01/2019
Gr 9 Up—In 1959, Ruth Robb moves from New York City to Atlanta. The daughter of a former Magnolia Queen, she is welcomed into a world of surface beauty and perfection, where girls learn society rules from their "pink books" and gardeners measure the distance between chaise lounges with a ruler. Her friends, the pastel-clad girls from Tea and Etiquette, think of New York as full of "Jews and commies." What they don't know is that Ruth herself is Jewish—and Ruth intends to keep it under wraps. She can be Jewish on the weekends at the temple, where the rabbi preaches controversial sermons about integration, and pass for Christian everywhere else: at her school, where buildings are named after Confederate generals; at the exclusive club, where Jews aren't allowed in the door; and, most of all, with Davis Jefferson, a boy whose blue eyes and deep dimple make Ruth fall hard and fast. But when her love affair with the South is punctured by an act of violence, Ruth, who has been taught that her voice is a "strong spice" to be used sparingly, must decide how much—and who—she is willing to risk by speaking up. Inspired by the 1958 bombing of an Atlanta synagogue, this novel uses its immersive historical setting to convey truths about hatred that remain relevant today. Ruth is an initially shallow protagonist who comes to realize the smallness and egocentrism of her own actions and whose complex choices ultimately transform her into a braver, fuller version of herself. VERDICT Timely YA historical fiction that belongs on all shelves.—Elizabeth Giles, Lubuto Library Partners, Zambia
Kirkus Reviews
2019-01-08
Girls in 1958 Atlanta don't just have soft drinks before lunch: They drink Co-Cola floats.
And if they want to be popular and successful, they compete for pre-debutante titles like Maid of Cotton and Magnolia Queen. They certainly don't admit to being Jewish. Ruth Robb—who's arrived from New York after her father's death—never mentions her religion to her boyfriend even though she goes to synagogue every Shabbos. Carlton (Love & Haight, 2012, etc.) loves her telling details a little too much. Characters say "Shalom, y'all" a few times too many, and readers may worry, on occasion, that the author is going to describe every single object in the Robbs' home. But every character is memorable and complex, and the plot quickly becomes engrossing, though it leads up to an act of anti-Semitic violence that 21st-century readers may find much too timely. The characters are, unsurprisingly, largely white, and in one brief act of defiance, Ruth walks through the colored-only entrance at the movies. The climax involves larger acts of defiance, but it also requires a level of coincidence that may raise eyebrows. Still, the characters' moral decisions are so complicated and so surprising that many people will be kept spellbound by even the tiniest detail.
Riveting. (Historical fiction. 14-19)
