Synopsis:
Both Elisha (Ellie) and Jeremiah (Miah) attend Percy Academy, a private school where neither quite fits in. Ellie is wrestling with family demons, and Miah is one of the few African American students. The two of them find each other, and fall in love -- but they are hesitant to share their newfound happiness with their friends and families, who will not understand. At the end, life makes the brutal choice for them.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Honestly, before delving into If You Come Softly, I was a little apprehensive about the likelihood that I would enjoy reading it. I picked it up because I needed to check off "African author" portion of my 2019 Summer Reading List and it dawned on me that this was one of the very few books I had authored by a Black/African American woman, but that's a conversation for another day. I often select books that I anticipate I'll have a good time reading: I steer-clear of those whose subjects are heavy or take themselves too seriously.
If You Come Softly was a heart-warming story about an interracial couple whose individual experiences and circumstances are dramatically different. Jeremiah is a visibly Black teen whose father is a Hollywood director (I think) and mother is a renowned author. Elisha is a Jewish girl with an-often absent doctor for a father and an omnipresent mother. The thread that connects the two is the prestigious school they attend. The contrast of their lives outside of school is interesting: Miah has to code-switch (he "acts Black" with his Black friends and assimilates appropriately in school and when generally around White people) From the moment Miah and Ellie first meet, they're smitten with each other. They come to realize that while they couldn't any more different on the outside━the lives they lead, the way they look, they connect with each other on an emotional and intellectual level. They both feel like outsiders in their own homes and only come find home with each other. If You Come Softly is a beautiful, heart-wrenching tale about two very real individuals with real, relatable problems.
Honestly, before delving into If You Come Softly, I was a little apprehensive about the likelihood that I would enjoy reading it. I picked it up because I needed to check off "African author" portion of my 2019 Summer Reading List and it dawned on me that this was one of the very few books I had authored by a Black/African American woman, but that's a conversation for another day. I often select books that I anticipate I'll have a good time reading: I steer-clear of those whose subjects are heavy or take themselves too seriously.
If You Come Softly was a heart-warming story about an interracial couple whose individual experiences and circumstances are dramatically different. Jeremiah is a visibly Black teen whose father is a Hollywood director (I think) and mother is a renowned author. Elisha is a Jewish girl with an-often absent doctor for a father and an omnipresent mother. The thread that connects the two is the prestigious school they attend. The contrast of their lives outside of school is interesting: Miah has to code-switch (he "acts Black" with his Black friends and assimilates appropriately in school and when generally around White people) From the moment Miah and Ellie first meet, they're smitten with each other. They come to realize that while they couldn't any more different on the outside━the lives they lead, the way they look, they connect with each other on an emotional and intellectual level. They both feel like outsiders in their own homes and only come find home with each other. If You Come Softly is a beautiful, heart-wrenching tale about two very real individuals with real, relatable problems.
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