After “the accident” happens to Aviva’s father, Aviva and her mom move to a “shabby little apartment” next to the shul. Here, Aviva’s mom Ema is in charge of the mikvah, a “little pool” which makes the women who dip into it “pure in a way that nothing else can.” There’s a dybbuk haunting the place, making petty mischief of all kinds like unscrewing door hinges and ripping up much-needed checks. Ever since the accident, Ema is “quiet, and she doesn’t go out to visit friends anymore.”
Aviva’s best friend Kayla has changed too, has “hated [Aviva] since second grade when everything went wrong.” Both girls love playing machanayim, which is “sort of like dodgeball," and when a game gets out of control, the principal insists the pair must learn to work together to plan their grade’s end of year Bas Mitzvah Bash.
But the dybbuk’s mischief escalates, and new instances of anti-Semitic vandalism raise the stakes, all of which keep the close-knit Jewish community in Beacon on edge.
This is a thoughtful, entertaining portrait of an eleven-year-old girl who faces challenges on many fronts. She’s a strong and immensely appealing hero, and readers will be rooting for her to face her truths and persevere!
--Lynn
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