Evie and Lottie, fraternal twins, live in London with their parents and are as different as different can be. Evie refers to them as the “least identical” twins in the world. Lottie, a good student, attends a selective private school while Evie attends the local school. Evie is short, dark, confident, and comfortable on a stage; she aspires to be a standup comic. Lottie is tall, blonde, and wants to help make the world a better place; a gift she chooses is a herd of goats to be donated to families in Ethiopia. The twins have a Jewish mother and Christian father. Evie’s best friend is Muslim. Lottie, becoming disillusioned with her clique of friends who are snooty and prejudiced, gravitates toward a new friend who is Jewish and observant. It seems that the twins’ interests will never overlap and they will never become close confidantes.
The one thing that brings the sisters together, though, is something they cannot ignore— antisemitism. Their mother, a radio talk show host, receives ugly, frightening, antisemitic comments on her social media pages. A family friend and her son have emigrated from France after growing antisemitism makes life there feel dangerous. Each of the girls, in their separate spheres, becomes the target of antisemitic comments and actions at school. Suddenly, both girls must give serious thought to who they are, how they will identify as they continue to mature, and how they can learn to stand up for themselves and each other in a complicated and increasingly dangerous world. They must decide which space Judaism occupies in each of their lives.
A Holocaust Memorial Day program at Lottie’s school features a presentation by a Holocaust survivor. Although the rest of the story is fiction, the survivor portrayed and her story are real. Her testimony is included in its entirety within the pages of the book.
This timely and significant story highlights antisemitism in Europe but will also help young American readers understand that no place is immune from antisemitic terror and deeply rooted prejudice. Fast-paced and gripping, this effectively told story is an important read. It is an eye opener and will leave a powerful impression on young readers.
Michal Hoschander Malen is the editor of Jewish Book Council’s young adult and children’s book reviews. A former librarian, she has lectured on topics relating to literacy, run book clubs, and loves to read aloud to her grandchildren.
