SHOHAM'S BANGLE

The bangles that Shoham and their grandmother wear may be small, but they mean so very much.

Shoham and Nana Aziza have a special and loving relationship. They gaze at the stars together, cook and bake together, and pick figs from their tree in the garden. Shoham wears one bangle; Nana Aziza wears many. Nana Aziza teaches Shoham how to cut round cookies using a bangle or to move a bangle from one wrist to the other to help remember something important. Shoham is told that the family will be emigrating from Iraq to Israel, which Shoham’s father has been praying for (in an author’s note, Sassoon states that in 1951 her own grandmother, her grandfather, and their children—along with 120,000 other Iraqi Jews—were airlifted to Israel under Operation Ezra & Nehemiah). An overhead view of the very small suitcase that must hold the belongings of eight people signifies, simply and poignantly, what the family values as they move to their new lives. No jewelry is allowed, however, and Shoham is told that the bangles must be left behind. But Nana Aziza finds a way to put things right, and eventually Shoham settles into their new home while never forgetting their old one. Passengers on the plane are crowded into their seats; the thoughtfully drawn faces reflect a variety of emotions: fear, worry, happiness, hope, and love. Shoham and their family are brown-skinned and Jewish. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A moving and authentic story of love, family, and home.