SISTERS ALONE

After their mother’s death, two sisters are forced to face grief, guilt, and a fractured relationship while trapped together during a winter storm.

Safadi’s verse novel follows Syrian American sixth grader Leena and her sister, eighth grader Rama, six months after their mother’s death, which Leena believes she’s responsible for. Leena retreats into memories, scrapbooking to preserve her mother’s memory even as her schoolwork and home life suffer. Rama, burdened by her responsibilities as the older sibling, struggles with anger and resentment toward the people in her life and with thoughts that seem out of her control. When Leena forgets to turn in her ski trip permission slip, Rama is forced to miss out on going too. Unwilling to burden their already strained father who has a business trip to Japan, she keeps quiet, choosing to handle things alone as tensions rise and a storm approaches. As the snowstorm intensifies, the girls’ emotions escalate, pushing them to confront both their grief and each other. Safadi focuses on the sisters’ dynamic, depicting their friction and gradual repair with clarity. Leena’s habit of measuring herself against her older sister and Rama’s frustration with her caretaker role feel true to life. Islamic practice appears throughout, as both girls observe hijab and turn to prayer. Visual shifts in font size and layout and the use of italics support the emotional pacing.

A thoughtful depiction of sisterhood and loss, elevated by its deliberate use of form.