If You Come Softly

This is a story of inter-racial love involving Jeremiah and Elisha – African American and Jewish New York teenagers respectively. No stereotypes are served up here as it’s Jeremiah who is the rich, privileged one, and it is tragic circumstances rather than predictable family objections that ultimately frustrate their budding romance. Woodson handles language with the sensibility of a poet – a streetwise one at that – and issues of race and racism are handled with insight and sensitivity, which together make this a highly readable novel for modern teenagers from all backgrounds.