Split the Sky

By Marie Arnold

A girl must choose between saving one life or sparking change in a divided town.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 172 ratings

304 pages· 61,016 words· Est. 5.5 hour read

$19.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In a tense Texas town, Lala, a young cellist with the gift of foresight, foresees a tragedy—a Black boy's death. As racial tensions rise, she faces a harrowing choice: intervene to save him or let events unfold, potentially igniting transformative change. With her grandmother's visions complicating matters, Lala must decide whose life to prioritize. Can she sacrifice one to save many, or will she defy fate to protect the innocent? As protests loom, Lala's decision could alter the course of history. What will she choose?

From the publisher

A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book! In this haunting story about family, legacy, and sacrifice, a young Black girl living in a Texas sundown town must find the courage to stand up for what’s right even when it means facing impossible choices–perfect for fans of Dear Martin and The Hate U Give. Fifteen-year-old Lala Russell is doing a bad job at being a Black girl. She has social justice fatigue, and she doesn’t want to join the Black Alliance Club at her school (even though she agrees with them). A gifted cellist, she’s focused on leaving her small town and accomplishing her goals and dreams. But Lala has also inherited another gift, her grandmother Sadie’s gift of foresight. She has visions of the future–and they always come true. In Davey, the Texas sundown town she lives in, there is growing tension, as a Black organization attempts to diversify the nearly all-white part of town. Amidst violent protests, Lala has a vision. In it, a Black teenage boy is shot in the chest by a white homeowner. Now Lala has a mission: find the boy and save him. But Grandma Sadie has a vision too. After the boy’s murder, a wave of protests breaks out. And the outrage over the casual and frequent slaying of unarmed Black children will result in unprecedented change. Change that won’t happen if the vision is altered. Lala is faced with an existential question–can she allow herself to sacrifice one life to, in turn, save many? And if so, whose life will she choose?