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Reviewed by:
  • Shine, Coconut Moon
  • Hope Morrison
Meminger, Neesha. Shine, Coconut Moon. McElderry, 2009 [256p]. ISBN 978-1-4169-5495-8 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 8–12

This coming of age story by first-time novelist Meminger opens on the Saturday following 9/11. Teenaged Samar is Punjabi-American, but her mother, estranged from her family, has consciously raised her as American, not Indian. When there appears on their doorstep a turbaned man who turns out to be her uncle Sandeep, seeking reconciliation with his older sister in light of the recent events, suddenly Sam has a window into the extended family and ancestral culture that she’s never known. Sam takes full advantage of Sandeep’s presence, joining him on a visit to his Sikh temple and, over time, convincing him to secretly introduce her to her grandparents—which makes all the more unlikely their reconciliation with their daughter. The characters are written with strength, and there is considerable emotional resonance as Sam works through her many shades of identity against the backdrop of a country suddenly suspicious and even hateful of brown people in turbans. Several side stories and relationships flesh out the central storyline, sometimes, as with the ongoing dialogue about 9/11 in Sam’s AP English class, helping to contextualize her struggle. The plot occasionally delves into the sensational (when the Sikh temple is set on fire, Sandeep personally runs into the building to carry out victims), but the solid portrayal of evolving relationships and developing self-knowledge carry Sam’s tale and will leave teen readers reflecting on their own life stories.

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