Published: 8 March 2021
Last updated: 4 March 2024
A Place at the Table tells the story of two middle-school girls, Elizabeth and Sara — one Jewish and one Muslim — whose friendship begins in a South Asian cooking class taught by Sara’s mother. Elizabeth is a budding chef and Sara is the new kid in school.
Both girls have mothers who are studying to become American citizens, and as the girls gravitate toward each other, they must learn to ask awkward questions, be open to honest answers and comfortable standing up for each other even at the expense of other relationships.
While it seems America is struggling with deep divides that appear insurmountable, this delightful book teaches that difference does not inherently mean discordance. What’s more, it provides a positive example for its readers on how to navigate the very differences that make each person unique.
This timely middle-grade novel is co-written by Saadia Faruqi, an immigrant from Pakistan who has two kids, and Laura Shovan, also a mom of two and the daughter of a British immigrant. In a wide-ranging interview with Kveller, the authors discussed parenting, allyship, identity and more.
FULL STORY Two women, Muslim and Jew, co-write children’s book about standing up to prejudice (Kveller/JTA/Times of Israel)
Photo: Laura Shovan, left, the cover of 'A Place at the Table,' and Saadia Faruqi (QZB Photography/Clarion Books/Laura Joy Burke/ via JTA)
