If You Come Softly

I was drawn to this book, by it's unique title and the author. Previously, I had read several other books by Jacqueline Woodson including Feathers, Peace Locomotion, and Last Summer with Maizon. The following poem by Audre Lorde was her inspiration for this novel:

If you come softly,

as the wind within the trees.

You may hear what I hear.

See what sorrow sees.

Miah and Ellie both attend a private school in New York City where they first fall in love. Throughout their relationship, people whisper behind their backs and give them disapproving looks. Why? Ellie is a white, Jewish girl and Miah is black. Can their love survive high school and their parents reactions?

This story will break your heart and touch a chord. You might even shed a tear.

Here are a couple of quotes I felt inspiring from the story:

"You think it will always be like this, Miah?"..... "Think of it as rain - the people who got problems with us being together - let's call them and their problems rain." Ellie nodded. "Okay, they're rain." She smiled. "So now what?" "So, it's not always raining is it? But when it's not raining, we know the rain isn't gome forever."

Miah turned back to the window. Last Saturday, after they left the library, he and Ellie had been walking down fifth avenue holdin hands when these white boys started acting stupid - saying stuff like "jungle fever" and "who turned out the lights?" Miah had clenched his jaw and held tighter to Ellie's hand. "Walk through the rain" Ellie had said.

I leaned against his shoulder and smiled. "You know what, Miah?" "What?" "I'd marry you tomorrow. Isn't that crazy? How much...you know, how much I love you?"

"It’s pretty, that poem." I closed my eyes. Maybe people were always coming toward each other – from the beginning of their lives. Maybe Miah had always been coming toward me, to this moment, sitting in Central Park holding hands. Coming softly.

Once, I asked Miah if he ever forgot he was black. "No, I never forget." he said. "But sometimes it doesn't matter - like I just am." Then he asked me if I ever forgot I was white. "Sometimes" I said. "And when you forget, what color are you?" "No color" Then Miah looked away from me and said, "We're different that way."

Of course there are plenty more, but I hope this will give you a sense of the theme of this incredible story. If you want to learn more about Jacqueline Woodson, click here