I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This

Chauncey, Ohio is a town divided by race: there are rich suburbs inhabited mostly by African-Americans, and slums where white factory workers live with their families. In spite of disapproval of her father and friends, Marie forms a friendship with Lena, a girl from the wrong side of town. Their

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bond grows stronger when they discover that both of them have lost their mothers. When Lena entrusts Marie with a dangerous secret, Marie must decide whether to keep it or to tell someone and risk losing her friend.
This book deals with the topics of racism and incest in a way that is accessible to junior high school-aged kids, and although it doesn't have a typical happy ending, it doesn't end in complete despair either. I also liked the way the author deals with race issues – both Lena’s father and Marie’s father are prejudice in different ways, showing that racism goes in both directions.
"I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This" is a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. I would recommend it for kids ages 12-15, especially girls. Kids who enjoy it should check out the sequel, "Lena."

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The story takes place in Chauncey Ohio where the line is drawn for blacks and whites (figuratively). The black families live on the suburban side while the white families live on the poor, factory filled side. When by chance two 12 year old girls paths cross a silent friendship starts to form. Both

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girls have more in common that they realize; both have lost their mother, one to cancer, one to needing her space. As they build trust in each other and learn to ignore that stares of disapproval, a secret is revealed in regards to molestation by one of their fathers. The friendship is challenged by the public as well as the father of the black girl. Will the secret be revealed and loose the friendship or will the agony of molestation continue without authorities knowing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and plan on reading the sequel, "Lena". The book was an easy read, and is appropriate for ages 12 and above. I feel the subject of molestation is touched on appropriately for the pre-teen age. The characters are believable as well as the description of the town they live in. This fictional book is well written and believable. I had problems putting the book down and found myself wanting to know what happens on the next page through the entire book.
As a classroom extension I would use the opportunity to touch on segregation, living conditions and mindset of folks in that type of town. I would encourage feedback from the students as to their feeling about how the girls formed a friendship against the wishes of family and community. The class could also learn about the proper way to handle a situation as incest and molestation through a classroom visit from the school counselor, and to learn what they can do if a friend divulges such a secret to them.

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I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This is the story of two girls and the friendship they develop. Marie is a rich black girl and Lena is a poor white girl. Both live in a primarily black town that is extremely affluent, except for the few poor whites. The town, Chauncey, has very strict racial and

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socio-economic lines, and the girls are not supposed to associate. They become unlikely friends, due to the fact that neither has a mother: Marie’s mother ran off to chase her dreams, and Lena’s mother died of breast cancer. Marie is drawn to Lena, to something about her, a strength that is more a wall. She thinks Lena and her sister, Dion, talk and act black. All of Marie’s friends, and even her father, call Lena White trash, and Marie’s black friends start calling Marie an Uncle Tom. Lena’s father calls Marie the N word.

Lena is always dressed in ugly clothes, and she is always dirty. When Marie asks why, Lena confides in Marie that her father molests her, so she is afraid to undress at home, even to bathe. Lena makes Marie swear not to tell anyone. Marie pushes the issue of telling someone, and Lena shares that once she did tell a social worker, but then she and her little sister, Dion, were removed from their home, and sent to two different foster homes. Lena ran away, and rescued Dion, but they had to go home to their father.

I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This is a story about teen girls coming of age, and dealing with some very difficult issues. Marie and Lena are able to push past the racism and classism that threatens to end their friendship, and see only themselves as two girls of the same age who both lost their mother. The issue of incest is the biggest part of the story, but the cultural differences play a huge role as well. The story is honest about how life works, at times being so painfully honest as to be extremely upsetting. I felt the message was negative in regards to reporting sexual abuse. Overall, I disliked this kind of message for preteen girls, as the message seemed to push keeping secrets and running away, rather than trying to go through the proper channels to help girls in this situation. Yet, I loved how race seemed such a non-issue to both main characters. That is always a good message. One Star.

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This is a beautifully crafted novel which addresses many issues including racial tensions, friendship, loss, and incest, but I think it could have been even better if it had been longer and more fully developed. I found myself wanting more than the novel delivered, but it was still beautifully

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crafted, and now I look forward to reading more of Ms. Woodson's work.

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This was a short story that packed a punch. It was about the power of friendship between 2 girls who came from two different worlds. It was also about how hard it is to keep a secret, and how it is sometimes better to tell. This book is good for teens and adults and could open up discussions with

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your children.

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This story began with a young black teenage girl named Maria. She lives with her father in a primarily black upper middle class neighborhood. She was the popular and best dressed girl at her school along with her best friend, Sherry. Although she ignored it, she knew Sherry treated her poorly and

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in the back of her head, knew she was affraid of her. One day, a grubby white girl was new to the school and the students felt annoyance by her dispicable presence. They shouted out names like "White Trash" at her but it didn't phase her. She was directed to sit next to Marrie and ate cupcakes and did her own thing. She wore oversized dirty clothes, had unwashed short hair, and smelled. Marrie was embarressed she followed her and Sherry around the school as if invited, and sat with them at lunch. Marrie's father warned her of white people as he was an advocate in the Civil Rights movement against desegregation. Marrie ended up becoming friends with Lena (the white girl from school) and breaking her bond with Sherry. Her father finally accepted her friendship with the other race. But as Lena and Marie grew closer together, Marie uncovered her emotional attachment to Lena, the absence of her mother who left them, and the distance her father made between them. Although emotionally connected and loving, Marie wanted more affection. She wanted her father to be able to hug her and let her cry on his shoulder. Lena spilled Marie her secret that she was being sexually abused by her father- that he loves her too much. Marie did keep it a secret although she desperately wanted to tell someone. Lena and her became very close friends sharing secrets and gossiping. It was time that Lena had to leave with her younger sister Dion. Marie's father finally accepted Lena and Dion into his home. He began dating new women and Marie finally felt some closer from her mother's non-existance in her life anymore. She let Lena go after hearing her sister was now being abused by her father also. Marie recalled days of swinging and Lena had finally freed herself and kissed the sky.

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This brief novel is ostensibly about a girl keeping the horrible secret that her friend is being abused, but that major plot point feels like a framing device for the real story, which is is the friendship between these two very different girls. It's a story of friendship and tolerance, racism and

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abuse, and yet none of it is heavy-handed. It's spare and poetic, with Marie's poetic voice coming through clearly.

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This was one of the saddest books that I have ever read, but it had such a powerful message. It was beautifully written, and the language that was used tried to lighten up the mood of the book with created imagery. I could not put this book down, because I wanted to just read to be sure that Lena

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and Dion were going to be safe eventually. I feel like the author has a way of taking such negative topics, and she tries to lighten it with the imagery created. I loved the second to last line of the book, "The world puts us here for the quickest second, then snatches us right back up." This line hits you hard, but it is beautiful and delicate. It is as if the author is trying to get her message out, about valuing the people's lives that you either touch or come in contact with no matter who they are as a person. Her main message was that we are all just people here. Such power and emotion fill this story with dignity and honor.

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In largely black Chauncey, Ohio, Marie leads a comfortable middle-class existence with her father who is a professor. The one dark spot in Marie’s life is that her mother walked out on the family when Marie was 10 and who communicates enigmatically through postcards. One day, Lena is the new girl

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at school. The other kids call her “white trash” but Marie finds herself drawn to Lena’s aloof sadness. Marie is still dealing with her mother’s absence but learns that Lena is in a worse spot: Lena’s father has been sexually molesting her since her mother died of breast cancer. The terrible secret is the girls’ bond and although there are times when Marie feels they should tell someone she maintains the secrecy. Then Lena tells Marie that she and her younger sister are running away because their father has begun touching the sister.

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Marie and Lena, two 8th grade girls that have little in common, discover that neither of them have a mother in their life.

This story delves into the emotions and results of their commonality. Also, race, abuse and friendship play a big role. I don't think this was a powerful, statement-making book,

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but I was drawn in right away and kept listening. Woodson's ability to develop sound characters that speak from the heart is demonstrated once again.

Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy

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