A Place at the Table

Sara, a Pakistani American sixth grader newly attending public middle school, meets Elizabeth, a white Jewish girl, in an after-school cooking club led by Sara’s mother. The girls discover shared concerns, including immigrant mothers facing the U.S. citizenship test. As they work on a recipe for a contest, their growing friendship is tested by racist and anti-Muslim comments from Elizabeth’s best friend. Alternating chapters follow their friendship, family pressures, financial worries, grief, and questions of belonging.