⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this Post-WWII coming of age story. It follows the friendship between Peggy, whose parents run a peach farm, and Ginny Rose, whose family are Okies who worked on the farm for a spell before the war. Now back in California, Ginny Rose and Peggy are reunited, with old wounds to heal and new challenges to face. Recommended for readers in grades 6+.

I love a book that has consequential messages that resonate with my current day life. When I find a book that touches me like this one then it's no surprise that it is a rare recipient of a 5 star review.

The Peach Rebellion, a young adult book, is a story about three girls from completely different walks of life. The two narrators, Ginny Rose and Peggy, alternate telling the story of their connections and how their friendship began at a Peach Farm owned by Peggy's family.

Oklahoman migrants, Ginny Rose Gilley and her family worked the peach farm one harvest where the two girls became fast friends. At the end of the season Ginny Rose and her family moved on. Peggy always looked for the Gilley family's return each summer hoping to rekindle the childhood friendship with Ginny Rose. As time passed, Peggy developed a new "best friend" with Lisette, a banker's daughter, who filled the absence of Ginny Rose for the time being.

Fate brought the Gilley family back to the area which reunited Ginny Rose and Peggy but also created some friction with Lisette. The trials of a small town living, the class separation of families in 1947, and the individual familial problems tugged hard at the friendships of our three teenage characters. Yet, they managed to persevere, weather the challenges, and find something that was bigger than themselves.

This book reminds the readers about our present day life, how we "label and treat others as outsiders", and how the "lingering effects of economic disparity, and the fortifying power of being part of something bigger than ourselves" is the dialog we need to be having to make positive cohesive societal change. The author eloquently states in her Author's note, "over time they grew and blossomed into young women with their own unique identities, and it's their differences I wanted to celebrate. Like peaches being the sweet result of disparate elements (earth, air, sun, and water), Ginny Rose, Peggy, and Lisette combine forces to create change not just in themselves and their families, but also in their community."

We need to do better to create change in our broken world. We need to stop the finger-pointing, name-calling, and hatred. Instead, we all need to find a cohesive way to thrive together, yet still honor our respective differences.

This book was read for the 2024 Popsugar Reading Challenge prompt "A book set 24 years before you were born".

I was absolutely blown away. I can tell it will be one of my favorite reads of the year.

I love Wendelin Van Draanen's writing style, but especially her characters. And I think the three girls in this book are my favorite characters she's written yet. I also loved the themes explored and the historical aspect of the book.

If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a must read.

BRB BAWLING MY EYES OUT!

I was excited to find a book set in Oklahoma and buy an author I currently read. WELL it is NOT set in Oklahoma, but rather California where her Ginny family flees during the dust storm from Oklahoma.

The book gets two stars because I finished it, partially because I have enjoyed other books by this author, and I am trying to diversify my reading by reading more genres. This one counts for historical fiction since it is set in 1947 and how people are recovering from dust storm, the Great Depression and the war.

My big issue with this book, each chapter is the viewpoint of each girl, so sometimes you are jarred when the chapter ends and you are thrown into a different story or a retelling different from what you read before.

‘“I just don’t want to lose this,” she said, tapping her heart with her fist. Then her eyes went glassy as she whispered, “I want what’s grown here to stay.”’

A beautiful story of family, friendship, and sisterhood.
The characters are real and so lovable (even when they aren't). I adored the friendship that grew between the three girls! Peggy was sweet and an amazing friend, Ginny Rose was brave and sacrificial, and Lisette had heartwarming character development!
For the one that loves dusty, southern, Okie/Cali, peach tea vibes with an unforgettable journey through grief, love, forgiveness, and the feeling of belonging to something bigger than oneself: the call to something more. I absolutely recommend!

CONTENT: minor language, not used often (d*mn, h*ck…). A couple of vague mentions of two different couples being together before marriage. A side character says she might divorce her husband. A boy is a two-timer and rumored to mess around. Said boy tries to kiss and more one of our main characters but she runs away.

This book was just so smooth, like a sultry summer night with a glorious pink and orange sunset that melts before your eyes.

There really wasn't anything dramatic, no sudden turns or surprises. The story just kept slowly unfolding. The depth of these girls, their families, and the way they saw their lives was raw and honest. There was no shame in how the girls found themsleves in their respective life stations (since how could they control it?), just the urge to be compassionate, caring, and humble towards everyone. The overall message was so subtle, but so carefully interwoven. This is one of those books where it seems like the author didn't write the story--the story birthed itself.

Simply the perfect summer read with the right amount of honesty, light-heartedness, and grit.