#MMGM Review: One Fine Voice, by Rebecca Langston-George

Thanks to the author and publisher for the chance to review this book, which I won in a give-away (I also thank the blogger who ran the giveaway, but, alas, I'm not sure who it was, and won't guess).

I'm posting this morning with the Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop. The hop is sponsored by  Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle. Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.   

 

 

Title: One Fine Voice
Author: Rebecca Langston-George
Publishing Info: Historium Press, 2026, 128 pages
Source: won a paperback in a giveaway

Publisher's Blurb (via Goodreads):
All her life, Esther Hopkins has been told she has a mighty fine voice.

Still, she can't believe her luck when just days after moving to town, she's invited to sing a solo at the 1923 Independence Day picnic. But the group sponsoring the picnic is not the benevolent fraternal order they claim to be. Worse, they've recruited her father, the town's freshly ordained Baptist minister, to become their chaplain. When they target the immigrant family of her new best friend, Esther must risk her father's anger, the KKK's revenge, and her family's safety to follow her conscience, salvage her friendship, and find the strength to speak truth to power even if it costs all she holds dear.

My Review:
Ms. Langston-George has tackled something big in this book: writing a book about some really ugly history, for younger middle-grade readers (my take, based on apparent reading level). Overall, I think she's done a pretty good job of presenting an age-appropriate reality, though I kept having to put down the book. That in itself might be a sign of good writing: I couldn't always continue because I was too angry and frustrated at the sort of hatred Esther is finding in her new home town, and her helplessness in the face of it.

What makes the book work is that Esther is a relatable character, a little girl (going into 6th grade, so about 11) who sees injustice and seethes over it, but is afraid to speak up. She's trying to be a good preacher's kid (an awkward and over-scrutinized position, especially in the 1920s. Or the 1960s), but she also wants to do what's right. The problem comes when those seem to conflict, and she has to make some hard choices and take some chances.

This story is particularly apropos in these times of anti-immigrant and racist hatred being encouraged by those who should be our leaders. Ultimately, it's a story of standing up for what's right, in the face of fear, even violence. Do Esther's choices change the town? We can't know. But she has opened her father's eyes, and he won't "go along to get along" again, I think. And maybe he and a few other adults will also dare to speak truth to power. It's how change happens.

My Recommendation:
I can only say that in these times, we need every book that reminds us that our neighbors--however they look or believe or worship--are people, equal under the law, and deserving of respect and protection. For kids 8 or 9 and up, but there might need to be parental or teacher discussions of the historical setting and the relevance to today. The book will also leave kids with an awareness that everyone--including children--must speak up in the face of injustice.

 

FTC Disclosure: I won a paperback of  One Fine Voice in a giveaway, and received nothing from the writer or publisher for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

 

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 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2026 

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