THE WEIGHT OF ONE POMEGRANATE

Seventeen-year-old Isadora Barnes reconciles with the unexpected death of her artistic older sister, Eleni, in this intimate study of loss.

In Eleni’s sudden absence, grief holds Isadora’s full attention as she worries about forgetting her sister, avoids making decisions about college, questions her friendship with Ani Jones (which is becoming something more), and struggles with her emotionally distant parents. Seeking a change of environment and escape from her empty home life and routine, Isadora visits her uncle Theo in Brooklyn. Hoping to learn more about her sister—who was a student at City College of New York—and maybe gain some insights into what she should do next in her own life, Isadora goes through Eleni’s belongings. What she finds makes her question whether the sibling closeness she assumed was actually shared, leading to confusion and doubt. Isadora, who carries a notebook in which she records her observations and interesting facts, tracks down the friend Eleni shared an apartment with and discovers even more unknowns. As she explores further, a portrait of her sister slowly emerges. Rebele-Henry conveys anxious Isadora’s insecurities and her guilt and longing in a story that has the urgent pacing of a mystery. This emotional narrative presents an honest examination of the challenges that follow in the wake of a loved one’s death. Central characters present white.

An immersive, lyrical study of the place where love and grief intersect.