Being adopted isnât easyâespecially when youâre seen as a national enemy. A teen seeks the roots of her identity in this stirring novel from the acclaimed author of Crossing the Tracks.
When Lily was three, her mother put her up for adoption, then disappeared without a trace. Or so Lily was told. Lily grew up in her new family and tried to forget her past. But with the Korean War raging and the fear of âCommiesâ everywhere, Lilyâs Asian heritage makes her a target. She is sick of the racism she faces, a fact her adoptive parents wonât take seriously. For Lily, war is everywhereâthe dinner table, the halls at school, and especially within her own skin.
Then her brainy little brother, Ralph, finds a box containing a baffling jumble of broken antiquesâclues to her past left by her âGone Mom.â Lily and Ralph attempt to match these fragments with rare Chinese artifacts at the art museum, where she encounters the artistic genius Elliot James. Elliot attracts and infuriates Lilyâespecially when he calls their first kiss âundimensional.â With the help of Ralph and Elliot, will Lily summon the courage to confront her own remarkable creation story?
A poignantly beautiful novel, Girl in Reverse celebrates âa remarkable journey of self-discovery, inner resilience, and the fragile, surprising, and exquisite complexity of familyâ (Publishers Weekly, starred review).