THE MANY MYSTERIES OF THE FINKEL FAMILY

Lara and her 15-months-younger sister, Caroline, both autistic, encounter a variety of challenges in middle school.

Lara decides to organize her own detective firm, channeling her favorite mystery series character. Unfortunately, the cases she decides to investigate all involve members of her family, and her investigations come very close to spying. Once she discovers secrets, she also shows little ability to keep them private. Caroline, who communicates via an app that speaks the words she types, wants to make her own way in middle school, staking out some independence from her sister. She’s befriended by somewhat socially awkward Micah, who decides the two should play a prank on a popular girl who humiliated and belittled Caroline. Not wanting to endanger their blossoming friendship, Caroline reluctantly goes along with the plan. Meanwhile, the sisters discover that their ADHD–afflicted father has lost his job. The family is Jewish, with both Sephardic and Ashkenazi roots, and cultural details are nicely depicted in chapters that alternate between the sisters’ points of view, providing insight into their lives. Although Lara and Caroline are the most well developed, the family dynamics reveal a deep-seated love and, occasionally, believably faltering tolerance for each other under the guidance of their caring but realistically challenged parents. Kapit keeps the focus squarely on how much the sisters share with their neurotypical classmates.

A gentle exploration of family dynamics.