Our Own Little Paradise

‘Our Own Little Paradise’ by Marianne Kaurin follows main character Nora as she tries to fit into middle school social circles. The last day of school has her nervous since everyone is talking about the amazing summer trips they have planned, and she isn’t going anywhere. Not only is she not traveling, but she lives in the not-so-great part of town, and the new kid who showed up to introduce himself on the last day happens to live there, too. And he’s weird. Or so Nora decides before really getting to know him.

When she lies about taking a trip, she casts a pall over her summer, causing her to have to stay inside with the lights off and the windows closed in case any of her classmates see her out and about or walk by and see that someone is actually at home where she lives. When Wilmer, the new kid, realizes she didn’t actually go out of town, he tries to spend time with her, but she isn’t having it. That is, until she realizes that there might not be a way out of it.

Before long, she soon finds herself enjoying their time together as they set up their own summer “trip” while hanging out together in the apartment complex. Nora thinks of Wilmer as just a “summer friend,” but she finds herself thinking about him as more than that. She worries that he’s not the right kind of person for her, that the “cool” kids are who she wants to be with, but when things take a turn and her lies bubble to the surface, she comes to find out that what she once thought isn’t necessarily true, and she begins to look at life through a whole new lens.

The story touches on how lies can come back to bite the liar, hurting others in the process. It deals with friendship, loss, and determination to do what one thinks is right, even when the truly “right” thing is so obvious. Truth and kindness are also themes within this creative and sweet story about two friends who want more for themselves, and may have even found it when they weren’t looking.