Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Hearts Unbroken

by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Winner of an American Indian Youth Literature Award

New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith turns to realistic fiction with the thoughtful story of a Native teen navigating the complicated, confusing waters of high school — and first love.

When Louise Wolfe’s first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. It’s her senior year, anyway, and she’d rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, the ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper’s staff find themselves with a major story to cover: the school musical director’s inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats, long-held prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers, parents, and students — especially the cast members at the center of the controversy, including Lou’s little brother, who’s playing the Tin Man. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey — but as she’s learned, “dating while Native” can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey’s?

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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Rating: 3.5 Stars

When the new drama teacher embraces color-blind casting for the school's production of The Wizard of Oz, sparks fly in Louise's small town, and she makes a point of getting to the bottom of it, and using her voice to challenge those opposed to the casting choices that were made and threatening her family.

• Pro: Louise was a great protagonist. I loved how fully she embraced her personal identity and was comfortable with it, even when it could cause conflict for her. She was proud of her heritage, fiercely loved her family, and would challenge those who attacked either of those two things.

• Pro: I grew up and still live in a diverse neighborhood, but I personally knew only one Native person. A book like this is important, because not only does it represent an extremely underrepresented group of people, but it reminds those who are not part of that group how damaging things which seem innocuous can be to other people.

• Pro: The Wolfe family was wonderful. They had such a strong bond to one another, and it was such a pleasure to spend time with Louise's immediate and extended family. The warmth, love, and unfailing support they gave each other was the sort of thing I love seeing in YA families.

• Pro: The controversy surrounding the color-blind casting was very relevant, and I thought it was an interesting way to incorporate the exploration of racism into the story. The incorporation and handling of social issues was where I thought the book excelled. Smith did a great job shedding light on many things, and left me with many things to think on.

• Pro: Hughie was such a sweetheart. His enthusiasm, fear, and disappointment radiated from the page. He was probably one of the most vibrant characters in the book. My heart broke for him, but he showed just how mature he was via the many choices he made.

• Pro: The growth Louise experiences over the course of the book was also well illustrated in her acknowledgement of her mistakes and flaws, and the way she attempted to atone for past missteps.

Overall: Another reminder, that although we have evolved a lot as nation, we still have a long way to go.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 24 September, 2018: Finished reading
  • 24 September, 2018: Reviewed