If You Come Softly
ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF ALL TIME • From the National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming comes a beautiful, timeless tale where first love encounters the daunting barriers of racism.
“Ever so gently open[s] up issues of racism, self-awareness, and moral consciousness.”—BCCB
From the moment they bump into each other in the crowded hallway of their Manhattan prep school, Ellie and Jeremiah know they fit together, even though she’s Jewish and he’s Black. They come from such different places, but to them that’s not what matters. They have something private and apart from the rest of the world. But the rest of the world might not see it like that . . .
Jacqueline Woodson’s moving story of star-crossed lovers is as relevant today as when it was first published twenty years ago, and this anniversary edition contains a new preface by the author.
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Community Reviews
The comparison to Romeo and Juliet in the introduction was not beneficial to the book. It made me feel like the author was just taking tried-and-true and rewriting it rather than coming up with something unique and her own .... But of course this wasn't the case at all and after getting through the first two chapters which seemed somewhat slow, the rest of the story is well-written and even though fiction had numerous historical references giving you a real feel for the time period with which it was written to portray. I have to say that there were sections that really made you think about things and life, and the last two pages were very poignant and encapsulated the story superbly.
"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’re forgetting, what color are you? No color. Then Miah looked away from me and said, We’re different that way."
A beautiful retelling of Romeo and Juliet but uses race instead of a feud between families. This is a love story of Ellie and Jeremiah, a young couple from New York City who finds love and an instant connection regardless of race or anything else. It’s that feeling when you know someone so intrinsically yet you’ve never met. Kindred spirits… soul mates.
Clearly early on, both live in different visions of the world. Miah with his father constantly reminding him how to be proud of his skin color but reminding Miah, as a black and proud young man, DON'T EVER run in a white neighborhood or in the park. Ellie was never taught to dislike any race but when she told Anne about Miah and his hair is kinky, Anne finally realizes, it's not kinky curly like some of the hair Jewish people have but of a black person's. Anne is quite taken back and that's funny because she of all people should know what it is like to be judged. Anne is a lesbian and her family do not approve and are hoping she grows out of it. They are not happy that Anne is getting married to her girlfriend. Truth be told, they don't know of her marriage yet because she is not in the mood to hear the negativity so Anne only invited Ellie, thus far.
I love how the two lovers are constantly coming together. It is as if fate and the universe have stated, they belong together. While Miah has introduced Ellie to his mother, he hesitates with introducing her to his father because of all his father has said to him about the races and they are black. Neither of them cares about their skin color but Miah has noticed the uncomfortable ways people react to them as a couple.
This book had me question myself, "what do I think when I see a black man running?" After a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion of "it depends on the situation." If they are running in a park or neighborhood, I would think they are exercising or in a hurry. God knows how often I've run down the street because I was late getting up and had to be somewhere by a certain time. That's my way of thinking but then again, I am a person of color so that's probably why I process it that way.
I love how Miah and Ellie grow closer and fall in love and because the beginning states, Ellie woke up about dreaming of Miah, and her mother is trying to encourage her to remember as much as she can. I just knew the ending will be sad. I can't wait to start reading, Behind You.
I loved it and it's a 5/5 for me.
A beautiful retelling of Romeo and Juliet but uses race instead of a feud between families. This is a love story of Ellie and Jeremiah, a young couple from New York City who finds love and an instant connection regardless of race or anything else. It’s that feeling when you know someone so intrinsically yet you’ve never met. Kindred spirits… soul mates.
Clearly early on, both live in different visions of the world. Miah with his father constantly reminding him how to be proud of his skin color but reminding Miah, as a black and proud young man, DON'T EVER run in a white neighborhood or in the park. Ellie was never taught to dislike any race but when she told Anne about Miah and his hair is kinky, Anne finally realizes, it's not kinky curly like some of the hair Jewish people have but of a black person's. Anne is quite taken back and that's funny because she of all people should know what it is like to be judged. Anne is a lesbian and her family do not approve and are hoping she grows out of it. They are not happy that Anne is getting married to her girlfriend. Truth be told, they don't know of her marriage yet because she is not in the mood to hear the negativity so Anne only invited Ellie, thus far.
I love how the two lovers are constantly coming together. It is as if fate and the universe have stated, they belong together. While Miah has introduced Ellie to his mother, he hesitates with introducing her to his father because of all his father has said to him about the races and they are black. Neither of them cares about their skin color but Miah has noticed the uncomfortable ways people react to them as a couple.
This book had me question myself, "what do I think when I see a black man running?" After a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion of "it depends on the situation." If they are running in a park or neighborhood, I would think they are exercising or in a hurry. God knows how often I've run down the street because I was late getting up and had to be somewhere by a certain time. That's my way of thinking but then again, I am a person of color so that's probably why I process it that way.
I love how Miah and Ellie grow closer and fall in love and because the beginning states, Ellie woke up about dreaming of Miah, and her mother is trying to encourage her to remember as much as she can. I just knew the ending will be sad. I can't wait to start reading, Behind You.
I loved it and it's a 5/5 for me.
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