For Lamb
For Lamb by Lesa Cline-Ransome is a historical novel published by Holiday House on January 10, 2023. This edition, written in English and spanning 304 pages, explores the complexities of an interracial friendship between two teenage girls in the Jim Crow South. Set in late 1930s Jackson, Mississippi, the story follows Lamb, a quiet and studious girl, as she navigates her relationships with her family and a white girl who introduces her to new ideas through literature.
Readers will find a nuanced portrayal of social themes such as prejudice and racism, as well as insights into the lives of African American families during this tumultuous period. The narrative delves into the struggles of Lamb’s mother, a seamstress hiding her sexuality, and her brother, who grapples with his impulsive nature despite academic promise. As the friendship unfolds, it triggers a series of events that dramatically impact their lives, culminating in a tragic outcome. This young adult fiction invites reflection on the historical context and the personal challenges faced by its characters.
Official synopsis Publisher
An interracial friendship between two teenaged girls goes tragically wrong in this powerful historical novel set in the Jim Crow South.
For Lamb follows a family striving to better their lives in the late 1930s Jackson, Mississippi. Lamb’s mother is a hard-working, creative seamstress who cannot reveal she is a lesbian. Lamb’s brother has a brilliant mind and has even earned a college scholarship for a black college up north– if only he could curb his impulsiveness and rebellious nature.
Lamb herself is a quiet and studious girl. She is also naive. As she tentatively accepts the friendly overtures of a white girl who loans her a book she loves, she sets a off a calamitous series of events that pulls in her mother, charming hustler uncle, estranged father, and brother, and ends in a lynching.
Told with nuance and subtlety, avoiding sensationalism and unnecessary brutality, this young adult novel from celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome pays homage to the female victims of white supremacy.
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Book
A Booklist Editors’ Choice
A CSMCL Best Multicultural Children’s Book of the Year
A BookPage Best Young Adult Book of the Year
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year – Outstanding Merit
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
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