For International Women's Day, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate 3 of my favorite leading ladies from contemporary Jewish fiction! Bonus, all three were written by Jewish ladies! Jewish characters bring me joy, so thank you very much to the 6 women below!
Molly Peskin-Suso - The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (Art):
Molly is quite familiar with crushes, but not at all with relationships. At the start of the book, her twin, Cassie, gets into a new relationship. Cassie tries to set her up with one of her girlfriend's friends, but he and Molly don't quite click. While this new relationship is blooming, Molly is busy learning lots about herself. She has started a new job at a Jewish owned store with a nerdy coworker her own age. Reid's not who she expected to fall for, but she absolutely does. This sweet Jewish teen was my introduction to Becky Albertalli, so I will love Molly forever!
Barrett Bloom - See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Review):
Barrett is stuck in a time loop with some Jewish boy from one of her classes. They have all the time in the world to get to know each other, practice Judaism together, and work on themselves, but getting out of the time loop is important too. When tossing theories around, Barrett most strongly believed in the tikkun olam ideas. That getting out has something to do with having a perfect day, especially if that means helping others. Although it turned out to be something different, her approach to the time loop will always stick with me. Rachel Lynn Solomon's characters will always win my heart.
Halle Levitt - What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter (Art):
Halle, or as she's know online, Kels, has to move with her brother to be with her grandfather for senior year of high school. She uses a pseudonym so that she can make a name for herself as a baker and blogger without relying on the fame her family name would bring. Unfortunately, it turns out that her online crush, Nash, goes to the school she now attends. He doesn't know about her secret identity and she's not sure she wants to tell him. This was the first Jewish contemporary YA romcom that I read, hooking me on the genre. It also inspired me to make my own blog because I loved Halle's One True Pastry. Thank you Halle and Marisa for inspiring me!
Happy International Women's Day!
Who are your favorite Jewish leading ladies?
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