#MMGM review: A Sky Full of Song, by Sally Lynn Meyer
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.
I'm pretty sure I got the recommendation for this book from another MMGM poster. I got the book from the library :)
Title: A Sky Full of Song
Author: Susan Lynn Meyer
Publication Info: 2023, Union Square Kids; 272 pages
Source: Library
Publisher's Blurb (Goodreads):
North Dakota, 1905
After fleeing
persecution in the Russian Empire, eleven-year-old Shoshana and her
family, Jewish immigrants, start a new life on the prairie. Shoshana
takes fierce joy in the wild beauty of the plains and the thrill of
forging a new, American identity. But it’s not as simple for her older
sister, Libke, who misses their Ukrainian village and doesn’t pick up
English as quickly or make new friends as easily. Desperate to fit in,
Shoshana finds herself hiding her Jewish identity in the face of
prejudice, just as Libke insists they preserve it.
For the
first time, Shoshana is at odds with her beloved sister, and has to look
deep inside herself to realize that her family’s difference is their
greatest strength. By listening to the music that’s lived in her heart
all along, Shoshana finds new meaning in the Jewish expression all beginnings are difficult, as well as in the resilience and traditions her people have brought all the way to the North Dakota prairie.
My Review:
This historical novel showcases some history and a side of the settlement of the American West that doesn't get a lot of attention: the settlers who weren't white Protestants. In this case, Shoshana and her family are Jewish refugees from the pogroms in the Ukraine (at that time part of the Russian Empire). There are some scary bits, especially before Shoshana, her mother, and her sisters are able to get to America. There are also the sad truths: that they weren't always welcomed when they did come, nor did those who were welcoming always understand them (oh, those well-meaning invitations to come to church!).
The writing is strong and direct, and we see how Shoshana comes to love her new home on the prairie--it is clear that the author knows and loves the landscape as well. I feel like there might be room for a sequel, as the book takes us through Shoshana's struggles to balance "fitting in" with being true to herself, but we have yet to see the community finish coping!
My Recommendation:
A Sky Full of Song feels like a worthy companion to the Little House books, with a more nuanced treatment of the different people who settled the area. On a personal note, I can't help noticing that Shoshana and her family came to North Dakota just about the time that my own grandmother and her family left nearby Nebraska to go farther west, in search of a better climate!
FTC Disclosure: I checked A Sky Full of Song out of the library, 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."
©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2026
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