Read a timeless novel about first loves and first losses

If You Come Softly — Jacqueline Woodson

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What to Read This Week

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

I debated for a long time about which book to start 2023 with: a crime novel, a nonfiction, something fun and silly? Ultimately, I chose a book that was first published in 1998, but it reads as though it were written today. It’s a book I urge you to take a chance on; at less than 200 pages, it’s a great and quick way to thoughtfully begin your 2023 reading. (Also, this book has been through many cover iterations, so you may find all kinds of different editions in seeking out a copy! Here is what my own looks like, with many pages underline and noted on.)

Content warnings, which do contain spoilers, listed in the footnote at the end of this newsletter.¹

What It’s About

Jeremiah is Black, and Ellie is white. That doesn’t matter to them, and it also doesn’t matter that their worlds are wholly different. But to everyone around them, it does matter.

It’s the story of two young teenagers who fall head-over-heels for each other at first sight—the way all first loves start. It’s exciting, and they’re giddy, and their world contains so much love. But the world outside them, their families, others who see them together, don’t understand why these two vastly different people would want—no, need—to be together.

They face challenges in school, in their homes, and even on the street with strangers and law enforcement—again, it’s hard to believe the book was written more than twenty years ago, as these issues are the exact ones many people still face today.

“I used to think it didn’t matter—that everyone in this world had the same chance, the same fight. . . . But where were they then—these Black people who were just like us—who were equal to us? . . . Why weren’t they in our world, around us, a part of us?”

But Jeremiah and Ellie know if they stick together, they can conquer anything, and they support each other through it all. But even though they fight the world together, some things are out of their control.

Why You Should Read It

As mentioned earlier, it’s a truly timeless novel that feels as though it could have been written yesterday, or in June 2020, or five years ago, rather than its more than twenty years ago publication date. It’s an important novel no matter how old you are, and it would be a great discussion book for a family with kids entering middle school or high school to read together and discuss its themes.

“I’m white so what am I gonna do with this—how am I going to use it to change the world?”

I read it for the first time around 25 years old, and I couldn’t believe how much it affected me, as an adult who thought I was relatively progressive, and how much it made me think about my own behaviors and privileges. As the new year begins, I encourage you to expand your reading and internal knowledge and give this one a try. It’s also a very fast read and will help jump-start your new year reading goals.

Misc.

I’ve decided to rename this section to Miscellaneous, because that’s what it truly is. You’ll still hear about books I’m reading (like the audiobook I’m halfway through and loving: A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey), but you’ll also get some other tidbits from my bookish life.

Over my Christmas holiday, I visited a new-to-me bookshop that opened a year or so ago in my hometown. It’s a used bookshop and a coffeeshop called Mickey’s and had an immaculate vibe. I know if I lived there, I would be a permanent resident at one of these cozy tables.

Mickey's in New Albany, Indiana.

Visiting bookstores always reinvigorates me to get to my own stacks more, too. Is there anything you’re prioritizing reading from your own existing TBR this year? Let me know if you have a strategy planned!

More Books

Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations: 

• Read a lyrical historical novel about a young painter

• Read about the longest and loneliest horse race in the world—and the woman who won it

• Read an emotionally wrought mystery about the opioid crisis

I also love hearing from readers! Let me know what kinds of books you’re looking for that you’d like to see featured, or send in your most recent five-star read (or two) and get a recommendation just for you. You might be featured in an upcoming newsletter! Reply to this email to get in touch!

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1. Content warnings: police brutality, racism, death, violence.