Hope in the Valley – Perfect Middle Grade Surprise!

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What? No perfect picture book today! Instead, I want to feature a middle grade book with plot lines that resemble NYC’s mass transit map, and smoothly move the characters from the beginning to the end without delays or crashes.

I read a lot of middle grade and some YA, and usually post my favorites on IG or Twitter with brief blurbs. But when I finished HOPE IN THE VALLEY, a work of historical fiction, I realized I had more to say about this book than a blurb can contain.

I want to acknowledge and celebrate a story that presents the nuances of conflicts. A book that shows a 13-yr-old character saving the day, but not in the original way she had planned, and NOT in a grandiose showdown that would be completely unrealistic. She does so via a relationship with an older person, someone with whom she has more in common than she knows. And I also want to celebrate a work of historical fiction that depicts the early days of Silicon Valley, circa 1980.

On the first page, the 13-yr-old narrator, Pandita, pulls readers into her present and past, as she secretly visits an abandoned property next to her home, the place she and her mother kept as their hideaway. It’s the place her mother called “Ashar Jaiga,” a place of hope. The property contains an old orchard and a decrepit house with a porch swing. In the three years since her mother’s death, Pandita has been sneaking visits and writing notes to her mother and leaving them hidden in a cushion of the swing.

The property plays a key role in the story, as it is up for sale and development. Separate factions of the community are battling to either protect its historic nature, build mansions, or build affordable housing. And as it turns out, Pandita and one her two sisters align with opposing factions. Pandita wants the property to be designated as historic to preserve the memories she has there with her mother (which disconcertingly aligns her with those who want to keep out “undesirables”), while her sister, Shar, becomes an activist working to raise money for the side that wants affordable housing.

The relationships between the sisters are loving, despite their opposition, as they all come together to protect their father from the lingering pain of their mother’s death. But when their father starts dating “the intruder,” they’re torn between wanting him to be happy and wanting him to keep the memories of their mother alive by not finding someone new.

An additional thread, learning how to use your voice, plays out as Pandita’s father signs her up for a summer drama camp, one that her sister, Indy, had loved. But there’s one minor catch. Unlike her sister, Pandita suffers from an intense fear of public speaking that makes her voice inaudible when it’s her turn to say her lines.

There is also a thread about friendship, as Pandita befriends a boy who could, by community standards, be considered an “undesirable,” because he’s a child of immigrants and his parents can’t afford to stay in the community unless affordable housing is built. While Pandita’s discomfort at being in the same group as those who are biased against “undesirables” creates palpable tension, this thread also shows how familiarity can foster empathy, as community members’ definition of “undesirables” changes if they know someone personally.

So let me add this all up: There are two threads of internal family conflict (sister vs. sister, sisters vs. father’s new love interest), three threads of internal character conflict (fear of speaking up, dealing with grief/change, navigating new friendships), two interwoven threads of community dynamics (current NIMBYs vs. social justice progressives overlayed onto a history of xenophobia), and a ticking clock (what’s to become of this property?) that will keep readers turning the pages. Oh, and a bit of a mystery surrounding the identity of the current owner of the property. I’m exhausted at the thought of juggling all these balls in a narrative that doesn’t feel forced, but driven, instead, by character choices.

Kudos to Mitali Perkins for this masterfully-crafted middle grade novel that’s sure to become a kid favorite. I can also see lots of teachers using this as a class read aloud. It’s sure to spur wide-ranging classroom discussions.