By: Lisa Fiedler
Age: 13+
In the summer of 1965, 17yr old Victoria has just done something daring- she has run away and joined the circus. Desperate to escape an unhappy home, she intends to use the circus to bring her to a new city far away from home where she can start a better life. But the home of the lion tamers, roustabouts, and trapeze artists have different plans for Victoria.
Callie is less than thrilled about her mother pulling her from the circus life she has always known to live at an animal sanctuary in Florida. Her dreams always had her flying high as a world famous tightrope walker, not trudging through classrooms at the local high school. But as she is unpacking, she discovers notes that her grandmother wrote while she was living at the circus. Emboldened by the snapshots of the circus life beginnings her grandmother didn't tell her about, Callie decides to use these words or wisdom to help her navigate her new life, and help her find a home.
I loved this book. It reminded me a bit of "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen for a younger audience. It had just the right dose of romance and whimsy, but at its core it was about the power of family- both the ones you are born into and the ones you carve out for yourself. Told in alternating perspectives, I loved getting to know a teenage Victoria- discovering her hopes, her dreams, and her history, while at the same time learning about who her granddaughter is and how the two of them shaped each other. This was a charming story, full of heart, and some good laughs and I highly recommend it.
Five stars!
]]>Rukhsana dreams of the day she has graduated high school so she can move to California and pursue her dream of becoming a physicist at Caltech University. Once she has moved away she will be free to lover her girlfriend Ariana without the fear of repurcussion. Her parents however, her mother especially, want Rukhsana to go to school close to home in Seattle, so that it will be easier to find Rukhsana a husband.
The duplicitous life Rukhsana is leading is causing a lot of stress and strain on her mental health and on her relationship with her girlfriend and social circle. But when her parents catch her with Ariana, and ship her off to Bangladesh. Thrust into a whole new culture, Rukhsana must learn to navigate a world that is full of religious tradition and intolerance. With the help of some allies and loving family members, Rukhsana must find the courage to chart her own path, and follow her dreams.
I loved this novel from the first sentence. Rukhsana almost instantly worked her way into my heart- she was real, she was bold, she was flawed, she was fierce. I can only imagine how difficult trying to navigate two conflicting cultures could be, and the grace with which she moves between the conflict really rang true for me. I loved having a window into a culture I do not have a lot of experience with in real life, and the reminder that we all struggle with trying to meet our loved ones expectations.
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
by: Sabina Khan
Age: 14+
Five stars!
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