Blue Thread

Gr 8–10—Sixteen-year-old Miriam lives in 1912 Portland, OR, in a strict Jewish American home. Her father is a successful business owner and her mother is the perfect wife. Miriam has everything she needs, but she knows there's more to life than what her parents have planned for her. She wants to be a printer like her father, but they want her to marry an acceptable Jewish man. While her mother plans their trip to New York City to find her a husband, Miriam gets caught up in the fight for women's suffrage. At first she's nervous about going against her parents' wishes, but curiosity gets the better of her and she begins helping the suffragist Osborne sisters make yellow ribbons in support of women's voting rights. However, after a mysterious girl named Serakh whisks Miriam back to biblical times, her desire to be a larger part of the movement becomes stronger. Through her adventures with Serakh, she learns about her past, her present, and the powerful influence she has over both. Teens may find the story slow at first, but will want to know how it turns out.—Wendy Scalfaro, G. Ray Bodley High School, Fulton, NY