JAR OF TEARS

A young girl grieving her mother’s death discovers the healing power of family, friends, and God in Templeton’s middle-grade novel.

Mira is 10 years old when she loses her mom to cancer. At first, she remains in staunch denial that her mother would ever leave her, even believing that the entire funeral is fake. She doesn’t really start to accept her loss until she meets up with her mother’s best friend, Sylvia. Mira navigates various bumps throughout the grieving process—including her friends pulling away, a new life in her father and stepmother’s house, and panic attacks at school. She also wrestles with immense guilt over a fight she had with her mother before she died. Mira eventually begins to find solace in her church’s grief support group and starts to keep her tears in a jar as proof of her love and grief: “I move the jar to catch the tears from the other eye. I think of Mom’s face. Before long, I’ve made a ring of tears at the bottom of my jar. It’s a little silly, but maybe there’s something to it. I screw the lid onto my jar. I can’t believe it’s come to this.” Sylvia encourages Mira to continue making art that, along with her faith in God, helps her eventually move forward while honoring the memory of her mother. Based on the author’s own experiences, the novel skillfully and sensitively tackles the wildly swinging emotions that can come with deep grief. While parts of Mara’s narrative voice come across as oddly old-fashioned for a girl her age (“I hear her blaspheme, which Mom taught me is swearing, using Jesus’ name”), the dialogue is largely natural and age-appropriate. Steeped in Christianity, Templeton’s story is likely to provide deep comfort to those who observe the faith and would prove an excellent resource for Christian youth groups.

This Christian-centered story deftly limns the conflicting emotions of kids who have experienced loss.