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Penny from heaven
First published 2006 · 274 pages
A warm, bittersweet summer steeped in family secrets, baseball, and the rich, chaotic love of an Italian American upbringing.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like pulling up a chair to a crowded, noisy Sunday dinner where love and sorrow are served in equal measure. Set against the sun-warmed, nostalgic backdrop of 1950s summers filled with baseball and butter pecan ice cream, the narrative maintains a steady, inviting pace while slowly peeling back the layers of deep-seated family secrets. The tone balances earnest childhood innocence with the bittersweet realities of historical prejudice and grief. Its prose is rich and sensory, capturing the everyday magic and messy complexities of a divided family. It will deeply delight readers who crave historical middle-grade fiction that explores cultural identity, the weight of unspoken truths, and the enduring bonds that pull a fractured family back together.
- Mood
- sun-warmed
- bittersweet
- familial
- nostalgic
- Tone
- warm
- nostalgic
- earnest
- humorous
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- family secrets · cultural identity · historical prejudice · coming of age · healing family rifts
- The writing
- Rich and layered, evoking the sensory warmth and chaotic love of a large family gathering.
- The arc
- Moves from the innocent anticipation of a carefree summer through the confusing discovery of painful family secrets, ultimately arriving at a place of healing and togetherness.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love historical middle-grade fiction centered on complex family dynamics, cultural heritage, and the bittersweet end of childhood innocence.
Content notes
- family estrangement
- illness anxiety
- historical prejudice
- grief
About the book
It's1953 and 11-year-old Penny dreams of a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. But nothing's that easy in Penny's family. For starters, she can't go swimming because her mother's afraid she'll catch polio at the pool. To make matters worse, her favorite uncle is living in a car. Her Nonny cries every time her father's name is mentioned. And the two sides of her family aren't speaking to each other!Inspired by Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm's own Italian American family, Penny from Heaven is a shining story about the everyday and the extraordinary, about a time in America's history, not all that long ago, when being Italian meant that you were the enemy. But most of all, it's a story about families--about the things that tear them apart and bring them together. And Holm tells it with all the richness and the layers, the love and the laughter of a Sunday dinner at Nonny's. So pull up a chair and enjoy the feast! Buon appetito!From the Hardcover edition.
Description from Open Library.
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