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I Can Make This Promise

Edie is twelve and curious. Her mom is Native, and her dad is white. While she knows quite a bit about her dad’s ancestors, the only information she knows about her mom’s family is that she was adopted from an orphanage. Edie really wants to know where she comes from, but the adults in her life avoid her questions. When she finds an old photo in the attic of someone who looks exactly like her, Edie is determined to learn more — even if the truth is painful. This novel tells a bittersweet story that shines a light on some challenging elements of Pacific Northwest history.

Author: Christine Day
Year of Publishing: 2019
Number of Pages: 288

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Reviews

  1. Angela Graves (verified owner)

    Well written book, very easy read.

  2. koalajoe1 (verified owner)

    This book is well written and explores Edie’s perspective in the first person point of view.

    This story explores the theme of heartbreak as Edie unearths some painful truths surrounding her familial and cultural past, as well as the challenges and growing pains of friendships at this age. In spite of these challenges, she is also able to come to peace as she discovers who her true friends are, how to discern the qualities that make true friends and have conversations and interactions that brings her closer to her own family.

    Parts of this story are based on the author’s own life and some historical events that have occurred involving Native people. She did a great job bringing these ideas and issues to life in a way that is very relatable.

  3. Mia Mueller (verified owner)

    Wonderful and easy to read book that subtly talks about some microaggression related to race and ethnicity.

  4. Savanna Rilatos (verified owner)

    This book is INCREDIBLE thank you so much!

  5. mdoran (verified owner)

    Easy to read! Enjoyable.

  6. Savanna Rilatos (verified owner)

    beautifully written book, we’re native so it’s very special to us

  7. Craig Jacobson (verified owner)

    Powerful, painful, and moving with echoes of the Pacific Northwest!

  8. Savanna Rilatos (verified owner)

    SO good! Can’t recommend enough

  9. Savanna Rilatos (verified owner)

    Such an easy read. Would recommend through & through

  10. nunnj (verified owner)

    Read with my daughter! We loved it!

  11. Jillbaker (verified owner)

    Beautiful. In all the ways.

  12. Amber (verified owner)

    This is a great story to build empathy and understanding in your child! Provokes conversation about fairness and helps children not take what came easy to them for granted.

  13. rileyannb13 (verified owner)

    Loved this book. I added it to my classroom library

  14. ttmartin76 (verified owner)

    Great story and easy to read.

  15. white24 (verified owner)

    The book is written in journal format from the main characters point of view. It is beautifully told about a child and their desire to feel connected to a piece of them that is missing.

  16. EmilyH1989 (verified owner)

    Love this book.

  17. M Bartel (verified owner)

    I Can Make This Promise was a wonderful, easy-to-read book that explored transracial adoption topics and the power of culture and relationships in finding oneself and how we tell our own stories.

  18. Elise Arnold (verified owner)

    Fiction is a good way to approach this topic. It invites the reader into a different cultural perspective in a easy to read way.

  19. hwarner18 (verified owner)

    Was a great read and mentions some discrimination that many people might feel and it is a good read for younger students to be introduced to the topics and becoming aware of different ethnicities and culture.

  20. jessiemichaelson (verified owner)

    My daughter enjoyed reading this book. It was well-written and enjoyable for multiple ages.

  21. italianrn (verified owner)

    A young girl searching for answers about her heritage and the origin & truth about her name. It’s a young adult book but a great read for adults too.

  22. Hannah & Alexa Perez (verified owner)

    Enjoyable book learning how to explore ones roots and culture.

  23. JoAnna Lamb (verified owner)

    Very well written. If you know the Seattle area and some Seattle history, you will certainly appreciate this young lady’s story.

  24. Liliann Monsive (verified owner)

    Very enjoyable! Great read!

  25. accessdenied (verified owner)

    Personally, I love to reade. This book explores how a curious girl finds the truth

  26. Sarah Bright (verified owner)

    I loved this book.

  27. JenniferKalez (verified owner)

    I really enjoyed this read — even as a 42-year-old reading YA. I even cried. It’s an important story for people of all backgrounds about belonging, heritage, and shameful U.S. history that we need to understand so we are sure to never repeat it. Highly recommend!

  28. jrcervantes (verified owner)

    “what a powerful book” – 14 year old niece.

  29. alicia deaderick (verified owner)

    I love this story! It does a great job talking about difficult topics.

  30. Nancy Griffith (verified owner)

    As an adult I enjoyed this book, though it was a little more than the 9 year old wanted to focus on. Loved the message and love having an option to read something that isn’t white centered.

  31. Jamie (verified owner)

    Easy and catching novel.. fun read foing to for sure have my daughter read also

  32. MCalvert123 (verified owner)

    A wonderful story about Edie, a girl who uncovers her family’s secrets and learns about her own Native American heritage. A great book for young readers 8-12.

  33. Ronda Masson (verified owner)

    LOVE THIS BOOK!

  34. Bgrenbem (verified owner)

    This book is incredible, and I cannot wait to get it into the hands of my fifth grade students!

  35. cduarte (verified owner)

    such a powerful story and narrative

  36. Mary Morris (verified owner)

    This is a tough subject handled beautifully. The characters are well drawn, and while the conflict is … not how my family would have handled things, it is believable, especially for the very-young-teen target audience. A great ice-breaker if you want to start a discussion with kids on the way that native American and conquering cultures interacted during some of the less honorable portions of American history.

  37. Candice (verified owner)

    Amazing book and easy to read.

  38. rdionne82 (verified owner)

    I come from a mixed cultural background as well and adoption has impacted our family in a number of ways. So relatable and well-written!

  39. julieethompson (verified owner)

    very easy read, I enjoyed it

  40. VickieMae (verified owner)

    This is a great read aloud chapter book for the kids. It gives them a chance to think about what a promise truly means ,, to the ones they make a promise to as well as themselves as a person ,,

  41. yesimajensen (verified owner)

    Great book! It covered important topics with articulation. I loved it so much I passed it on to my family members!

  42. Racheal Parker (verified owner)

    Amazing!

  43. Cynthia Burgos (verified owner)

    I wanted my daughter to read a book about Native Americans to gain a broader perspective of different people.

  44. Tamara Walchak (verified owner)

    Enjoyed reading this book, an important story

  45. Emily Coatney (verified owner)

    Very cute book. Read it first on my own but will share with kids for sure when appropriate.

  46. Jenny Merrell (verified owner)

    A touching story of love and protection.

  47. Anne Bernard (verified owner)

    Wonderful book. Well told.

  48. Blibertad (verified owner)

    My 12 year old dove right into this book! I look forward to chatting with them about it when they finish reading.

  49. Lindsay (verified owner)

    Great book.

  50. DaisyBlackman (verified owner)

    Read this one with my 8-yo niece and she really loved it. Opened up some great conversations about microaggressions and culture, and growing up in the PNW made it special to us both <3

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