Sophie Winslow and Sophie Gershowitz are best friends, even though Sophie G. has a few years on her young neighbor—77 to be exact. But when 11-year-old Sophie W. hears that Sophie G. may be moving, the young Sophie plots to make sure that that doesn’t happen.
Sophie W. is best friends with her neighbor Sophie G. Even though they’re separated by a few years (77 to be exact), the two Sophies have a lot in common. And they get along marvelously. Unfortunately, this happy friendship seems about to be interrupted.
Sophie W. overhears her parents talking about how Sophie G.’s memory is getting worse. Her son wants her to move to a retirement home in Ohio near where he lives. Sophie W. is horrified. Her best friend doesn’t belong in Ohio; she belongs right next door!
The younger Sophie sets out to prove that Sophie G.’s memory isn’t as bad as it seems. She borrows a medical book from her friend Ralphie and asks Sophie G. different memory questions. And while her elderly friend passes most of the questions with flying colors, she repeatedly fails the short-term memory questions.
All Sophie G. needs to do is remember three words a few minutes after Sophie W. says them. However, time after time, she isn’t able to recall them. This creates a bit of a snag in her plan, but Sophie W. is nothing if not tenacious. She asks Sophie G. to tell a story from her childhood related to each of the three words to help them stick: tree, table, book.
But what Sophie W. doesn’t realize is this exercise is turning into far more than a memory test. The elder Sophie tells tales of Poland overrun by Nazis and her family’s struggle to survive. Sophie W. begins to realize that being a good friend might involve more listening and less action than she ever thought.
Ralphie’s family is Catholic. Another family is Methodist. Both churches are mentioned.
Sophie W. discusses a Native American curse. She also prays to the great spirit mentioned in the curse one time. Rabbis are mentioned. Sophie W. talks about hypothetically sticking pins into a voodoo doll.
Sophie W. and Ralphie’s parents decided that the two friends can’t have phones until they’re 12. Both sets of parents also enforce rules with laptops: They can only use them in public spaces in the house, for instance, and parents are always able to look at the kids’ browsing histories. Another friend, Oliver, is son to a single mom. She works hard to provide for Oliver and understand him.
Bars and bartenders are mentioned multiple times. The movie Sophie’s Choice is mentioned, but the contents are not discussed. At one point Sophie W. says, “d–mit all!” Smoking is mentioned. Sophie G. says she believes that her parents probably lost some babies. Sophie G.’s husband died on the day he retired, and she mentions that a baker she knew as a child also died. Sophie W. says she will punch anyone in the nose who makes fun of her future daughter’s name. Sophie G.’s father, brothers (and presumably mother and sister) are taken away by the Nazis because they’re Jewish, but Sophie G. is sheltered by a rich family.
A homosexual couple that wants to have a child via surrogacy is mentioned. Sophie G. discusses wearing a revealing dress.
How are your friends different than you? How are they similar? Why are similarities and differences both good?
Sophie G. appreciated that Sophie W. listened to her story. Why is listening to others important?
Sophie W. realizes that the best friends are ones you can learn from. What have you learned from your friends? Do you think those things are good or bad? Why or why not?
The book contains good messages about being friends with those who seem different from you and listening to others’ stories. However, it contains many problematic elements as well. Sophie W. is a relatable 11-year-old in many ways, but she has a bad attitude throughout the book, grumbling about the situation she’s facing, her parents’ rules and her friend Ralphie.
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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
Review by Rachel Pfeiffer
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