A review by daniellereadslikealot_
In the Neighborhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Loosely based on the 1958 Atlanta temple bombing, In the Neighborhood of True is a beautiful coming of age story with strong themes of family, religion and being true to who you are. Ruth was certainly a compelling and relatable narrator. Her conflicting feelings of wanting to fit in among the popular southern belles and her love for her Jewish heritage was so well written. I loved reading from her POV and seeing her internal struggle between who she thinks she should be and who she is. I also loved her relationships with her family, especially her mom and her grandfather. My only complaint was the pacing. I felt like the bombing happened very late in the book and after that, the rest of the story was wrapped up too quickly. I would have liked a little more time for the trial and to see more of the aftermath of what happened, especially with the other girls and Davis. However, I still think that this is such a powerful story of identity, family and resilience and I’m so glad I read it. 

CW: death of a parent, antisemitism, racism, hate crimes