If You Come Softly

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Woodson, Jacqueline. 1998. If You Come Softly. New York: Speak. ISBN 9780399231124

PLOT SUMMARY

Teenagers Miah and Ellie fall in love at an elite private school, but face criticism because Miah is black and Ellie is Jewish. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The plot of If You Come Softly revolves around the relationship between Ellie and Miah.  The story begins when Miah accidentally knocks into Ellie.  The two are instantly enamored with each other.  Ellie and Miah are less concerned with each other’s race than those surrounding them.  They quickly fall in love.  The ending of this story was shocking to me, but upon reflection, it was heavily foreshadowed.

In If You Come Softly, Woodson has created characters that all readers will be able to identify with.  Ellie and Miah are like any teenagers, worried about their classes and trying to navigate relationships.  Although Ellie and Miah have lifestyles that may be foreign to some readers (they are both wealthy, for example) at their core, they are like any other teenagers. 

If You Come Softly takes place in New York City.  Miah is from Brooklyn and Ellie is from the Upper East Side.  They attend private school together in Washington Heights.  Although the setting is urban, both teens come from upper-class families.  Adding another level of description to the story, Woodson frequently describes the sounds of each scene.  For example, Woodson writes, “And in the distance, he heard the vague sound of a basketball, someone bouncing it slowly, some young kid somewhere, learning how to handle the ball, how to keep it near him” (118).

The themes of diversity and racism are explored throughout the book.  As Ellie and Miah’s relationship evolves, the pair encounters a lot of racism from observers.  There are countless examples throughout the book.  After falling for Miah, Ellie begins to reflect with new insight on past experiences of racial bias:

“Once Anne and I were walking through Central Park when this black guy started running toward us.  I frowned, remembering how Anne had screamed, and grabbed me.  When the guy got up close, we realized he was a jogger, not a mugger or anything, and Anne had turned red with embarrassment.”

Because of experiences like the one above, Ellie starts to wonder -- is her family racist?  Is she?

This story is told from the perspective of both Ellie and Miah, alternating between chapters.  Ellie’s chapters are written in the first person and Miah’s are in third person.  Woodson seamlessly transitions between perspectives and the change does not impact the flow of the story at all.

Woodson defies stereotypes by creating a black male character that is wealthy.  Miah’s father is a film producer and his mother is a famous author.  The differences between Ellie and Miah are solely based on the color of their skin.  Class differences do not come into play, which is refreshing.  Woodson addresses minority dialect when she writes: “He hated when white guys tried to sound black” (62).  Miah is smart and educated and Woodson does an excellent job of presenting him in a positive light.  Woodson presents a lot of the racism throughout the book in a subtle way.  For example, Miah’s new school automatically places him in remedial classes (75-76).  He is able to joke about it, but the reader will wonder whether he is just making light of a difficult situation.

With If You Come Softly, Woodson has created a powerful story that will leave readers reeling.  Readers will be thinking about this story, its characters, and its message long after they have finished reading it.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal: “This fine author once again shows her gift for penning a novel that will ring true with young adults as it makes subtle comments on social situations.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “Knowing from the beginning that tragedy lies just around the corner doesn't soften the sharp impact of this wrenching book.”

CONNECTIONS

These are other award-winning titles by Jacqueline Woodson:

Jacqueline Woodson. Hush. ISBN 9780606282807

Jacqueline Woodson. Miracle’s Boys. ISBN 9780142415537