Under the Same Stars

Gr 9 Up–Three generations are connected by a tragic event in Nazi Germany. In 1939, Hanna and Sophie are two typical teenage girls searching for love. They send letters to the Bridegroom’s Oak, a tree believed to possess magical matchmaking powers. Initially, they ignore the presence of Nazi soldiers in their village, but the brutal beatings and rising extremism soon become impossible to overlook. In 1980, Jenny moves from Dallas to West Berlin with her parents. There, she meets Lena, a member of the city’s punk scene, who introduces Jenny to a world far removed from her parents’ ritzy apartment. Lena also forces Jenny to confront long-avoided questions about her sexuality. In 2020 New York City, Miles and Chloe find themselves separated by the pandemic. Together, they begin researching a mystery mentioned by Chloe's grandmother—the disappearance of two girls, Hanna and Sophie, from their German village decades earlier. Their internet sleuthing reveals more than their online classes ever could, teaching them about the various forms of resistance and the price many paid to fight tyranny. Their discoveries unfold against the backdrop of rising anti-AAPI violence and the murder of George Floyd. While the long chapters and multiple points of view make it challenging to follow the narrative, the story remains a powerful testament to hope and resistance. Miles, who is white and Filipino, has two moms, while Chloe is white.