  | Summer of stolen secrets Author: Sternberg, Julie | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
Catarina has never met her strict Jewish grandmother. But now, with an opportunity to spend three weeks in Baton Rouge, Cat packs her bags and leaves New York City to get to know the woman who has always been a mystery. Down South, she begins working at her grandmother's luxury department store with her rebellious cousin Lexie. Nothing seems to be going right and nobody talks about the past. Then Cat stumbles onto a secret from a time her grandmother refuses to speak of.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (06/01/21)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 06/01/2021 Gr 4–8—Catarina, who is white, always felt as though she missed out on getting to know half of her family because of her father's estrangement from his mother. Cat's father grew up Jewish, and when he decided to marry a Christian, he was no longer accepted in his family. Catarina has always wondered what her Safta (grandmother) is like, but she never had the opportunity to get to know her—until the summer following seventh grade, when she's invited to Louisiana to stay with her aunt, uncle, and cousin Lexie, who live right across the street from Safta. Cat jumps at the chance for a three-week reprieve from having to attend summer camp with her two best pals, who have decided that they no longer want to be friends with her. Once in Louisiana, Cat gets to know her slightly older, rebellious cousin Lexie and meets Safta for the first time. Safta is far from the warm and friendly grandmotherly type; instead, she greets Cat with, "I must teach you about clothes. Your shorts ride too low and your top is the wrong color for you. It washes you out." Safta owns an entire department store, where Cat begins working; she soon uncovers secrets about Safta's Jewish past in Germany, which could change everything. VERDICT An engaging realistic fiction novel about family trauma and healing that will have readers turning pages and wanting more. A solid purchase for libraries.—Tracy Cronce, Stevens Point P.S.D., Stevens Point, WI - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
