Threads by Ami Polonsky | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

To Whom It May Concern: Please, we need help! The day twelve-year-old Clara finds a desperate note in a purse in Bellman's department store, she is still reeling from the death of her adopted sister, Lola. By that day, thirteen-year-old Yuming has lost hope that the note she stashed in the purse will ever be found. She may be stuck sewing in the pale pink factory outside of Beijing forever. Clara grows more and more convinced that she was meant to find Yuming's note. Lola would have wanted her to do something about it. But how can Clara talk her parents, who are also in mourning, into going on a trip to China? Finally the time comes when Yuming weighs the options, measures the risk, and attempts a daring escape. The lives of two girls--one American, and one Chinese--intersect like two soaring kites in this story about loss, hope, and recovery.

Threads by Ami Polonsky caught my attention based on the jacket cover summary. The plot sounded super intriguing. Also, the book was super short. In addition, it is a middle grade book. Right now I am looking for low commitment reads and so, decided that maybe this would be a good book to pick up and meet that need. Not to mention, it was sent for review and so once I finished I could immediately unhaul Threads.

So, Threads by Ami Polonsky basically follows two main characters – Clara and Yuming who become connected in an unusual way. Clara opens up a purse at a department store and finds a letter and a photograph in the handbag. The letter says that the writer is currently a slave at a factory in China along with other children and is begging for help. The writer is Yuming. She has been at a factory since her grandparents died and she went to look for her brother but was then kidnapped. Clara decides that she has to go to China to rescue the letter writer. Her parents indulge her because her adopted Chinese sister, Lola, recently died of cancer.

Clara is a middle grader who is very head strong. I mean, it would seem almost impossible to go to China on a whim especially within a week of deciding. By impossible, I mean super expensive, especially as her parents are not rich. Yet she does it. There, she follows her heart and begins to see an apparition of her sister, Lola, who guides her on the journey. Ultimately, Clara deals with her grief and finds healing. I think that can be quite beneficial for middle graders to read about.

Yuming is also middle grade aged. She lived with her grandparents and her older brother until her grandparents died. Now, she’s at a factory and not exactly thriving in the textiles. She endures abusive conditions and her life is hard. She decides to be brave, take a chance, and put the letter and her only photograph in the purse going to America. When a boy and his little brother come to the factory, Yuming decides to take matters into her own hands and hatches an escape plan.

So, one thing that I liked about Threads was how instead of Clara being the one to save Yuming as expected, Yuming saves herself. She has a lot more agency than I was lead to believe she would based on the summary. Aside from that, the plot line really is quite interesting. It did take me awhile to get through this book and I wasn’t super invested in it. However, I think this would be an awesome read for actual middle schoolers.

Other reviews of Threads by Ami Polonsky:

• Hit Or Miss Books – “It feels more like a miracle story than anything else“
• Cracking The Cover – “helps put things into perspective“

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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