The summer Abby turns 12, her life turns upside down. Her best friend Cat moves to Israel and shortly thereafter, her older brother Paul is diagnosed with testicular cancer. Abby, quiet and socially awkward, isn’t sure how she’ll manage without Cat, or if she’ll be able to be strong enough to support her beloved brother. Over the course of the book, however, she finds unexpected depths of bravery in herself as well as support from her two moms and the new boy next door.
Author Donna Gephart, a cancer survivor herself, offers an authentic (albeit age-appropriate) look at the harsh impact of chemotherapy and on having a loved one with a life-threatening disease. At the same time, we see here how a family and true friends can also come together in love and support.
Unlike many middle-grade coming-of-age stories, the growing feelings Abby has for the new boy are simply reciprocated, and he turns out to be a thoughtful, kind person—there is none of the common teenage angst about relationships and love triangles. It’s rather refreshing. Instead, Abby’s concerns about her brother, and her own desire for personal growth, form the focus of this gently powerful story.
One of Abby’s moms is Jewish, and the family observes Jewish holidays and customs, which we see them doing throughout the book as the months proceed. They’re not Orthodox, but they are actively and culturally Jewish, and we see how elements of Jewish practice offer Abby strength in her journey. Abby uses poetry to explore her own thoughts, too, and these poems are woven thoughtfully into the book without feeling gimmicky.
While the subject matter is difficult, Gephart explores it with understanding and sympathy. The story should resonate with others who have also dealt with a loved one’s serious illness or who know those who have.
