Among the Angels

A poignant novel in verse about a girl’s journey to find solace in the aftermath of a high-rise collapse, by the Newbery Honor-winning author of Across So Many Seas

The day after Emily’s cousin Yoli moves away, a terrible thing happens. Yoli’s building, across the street from Emily’s, collapses. While Emily couldn’t be more relieved her cousin is safe, it’s hard navigating her life without Yoli, who was shy Emily’s only real friend. Complicating matters is that Emily doesn’t know how to grieve for Yoli’s friend Bella, who was killed in the collapse. Bella always bullied Emily, taunting her for being a quiet, poetry-writing girl. But when Emily attends Bella’s funeral, Bella’s grandparents help Emily see another side of their beloved granddaughter. Emily never knew her own grandparents, and Bella’s are so kind that she finds herself returning each day of the shiva. Spending time with them—and with a community trying to find hope after a tragedy—opens Emily’s eyes up to a lot of new truths and makes her question many of her own decisions. For starters, perhaps being a recluse at twelve, like her namesake Emily Dickinson, isn’t really serving her well.

Newbery Honor-winning author Ruth Behar’s first novel in verse packs a powerful punch, exploring loss, grief and vulnerability, as Emily opens herself up to a world of feelings and allows the girl she thought she hated to fill her with love.