HOME FOR MARGARET

A blueprint for compassion in action.

It’s a frigid day in Cherry Hill Forest; powdery drifts blanket the ground, migrating geese honk overhead, and Emma and her mom, a social worker, stroll along a secluded trail. Emma stumbles upon a camping tent much like those she’s seen in other parks. A woman emerges, and the trio exchange niceties before Emma asks her visibly chilled neighbor, “Don’t you get cold?” Margaret’s affirmative answer prompts mother and daughter to act, but when Mom’s outreach efforts to neighborhood shelters yield few solutions, Emma takes matters into her own hands. Emptying her coin bank, she assembles a kit of essentials and, later, prepares a plate of Christmas dinner for Margaret, learning over a shared meal more about the experiences that have discouraged the woman from seeking placement in a shelter. Emma and her mother listen attentively, attuned to their own privilege; by the time winter arrives again, the pair have identified a potential new home for their friend, a gesture borne from informed empathy. Necessarily narrow in scope, this text offers a jumping-off point for further dialogue. Canadian journalist Davy offers a frank, age-appropriate introduction to housing insecurity, broaching complex systemic realities with digestible tenderness. Delaporte’s appealing art, too, softens the challenging content without minimizing its impact. An author’s note provides additional actionable context for the true story on which the book is based. Mom and Margaret are light-skinned; Emma is tan-skinned.

An effective conversation starter.