Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Grace

The year is 1949, and thirteen-year-old Francine Green goes to a strict Catholic school. There, the students are taught to question nothing and accept what the nuns there teach her. At first, Francine follows all the rules and stays out of trouble, but all that changes when a new girl, Sophie, shows up. Sophie is the opposite of everything Francine is, and they quickly become friends. Sophie questions authority and religion, and doesn't hesitate to voice her opinions. When Sophie is expelled from school and her father loses his job due to being accused of being a Communist, Francine must decide whether she will do what's right and stand up for her friend and form her own opinions about what is going on in the world during the 1950s.

This book does a good job of portraying the confusion and paranoia of the time period, and shows the importance of having your own voice.