Quaking Book

Why I picked it up: I'm fairly certain it's the only non-historical YA book with Quaker characters that I have seen.

Matt (don't call her Mattie, and absolutely don't call her Matilda) had a pretty bad home life as a young kid. She's lived with different relatives since then, but none seem to stick for long. She's on her "last chance" with distant relatives Sam & Jessica. Matt just wants to graduate early and move to Canada, but her new family seems to genuinely like her, which has her a bit baffled. She doesn't see attachments to people as worth anything. This takes place I would guess in 2002/2003 and the peace movement being considered anti-American is strong in the plot, especially as Jessica & Sam are Quakers.

I liked it. I especially like how Matt's past was handled. We never got a full disclosure of what she's been through, but there are enough snapshots to get a feel for some of the specifics and get the generalities of the horrors she's lived through. Sam & Jessica seem real and genuine, and Matt does not let herself become part of the family quickly, which seems realistic. The civics teacher is a little too over the top to be believable, but we did get some of his backstory/motivation. I worry that this is too "snapshot in history" to have continued relevance, though I appreciate the viewpoint.

I also felt as though the Quaker aspects were just right, at least based on my own experiences. There are a lot of misconceptions out there, and I like that this didn't include them other than having Matt believe a few in the beginning. Sam & Jessica wear jeans, have a computer, and planned to have biological children. (You would be surprised how many people still mistake Shaker for Quaker.) Meeting for worship, too, was spot-on, down to how loud common noises are in a roomful of people during silent worship, the eclectic clothing of those present, and even the description of the meeting room. The terminology was defined naturally and in a way that pleased me. The book takes place in Pennsylvania and though we don't know if Matt's other homes have been in the same state, I did find it hard to believe that she & others are surprised that Quakers even "still exist" since Pennsylvania 1) is named after a Quaker 2) has a state motto that refers to Quakers and 3) has a pretty large population of Quakers.

Contains: mild language