Just Under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno

From Goodreads,

"Can you still have a home if you don't have a house?

Always think in threes and you'll never fall, Cora's father told her when she was a little girl. Two feet, one hand. Two hands, one foot. That was all Cora needed to know to climb the trees of Brooklyn.

But now Cora is a middle schooler, a big sister, and homeless. Her mother is trying to hold the family together after her father's death, and Cora must look after her sister, Adare, who's just different, their mother insists. Quick to smile, Adare hates wearing shoes, rarely speaks, and appears untroubled by the question Cora can't help but ask: How will she find a place to call home?

After their room at the shelter is ransacked, Cora's mother looks to an old friend for help, and Cora finally finds what she has been looking for: Ailanthus altissima, the "tree of heaven," which can grow in even the worst conditions. It sets her on a path to discover a deeper truth about where she really belongs."

Goodreads - Just Under the Clouds

I always set a reading challenge for myself.  Unfortunately, I didn't meet my goal for 2019, but I am determined to meet my goal of 52 books in 2020.  That comes out to a book a week.  I've also agreed with myself that I'm going to read at least 50 pages each night.  This is a fairly recent purchase and I'm excited to share my review of this book.

Favorite quote from Just Under The Clouds,

"I know how it's possible to love someone you can't understand."

Just Under the Clouds is a moving novel about Cora and her sister Adare.  Cora and Adare are homeless and bounce from house to house and couch to couch.  Cora has to keep up with Adare after school while her mom is at work, and that proves difficult because Adare is special.  Cora wishes that Adare was just normal and that school was easier.  Eventually Cora, Adare, and their mom end up at a wealthy friend's house while they try to get back on their feet.  During this time Cora discovers the "tree of heaven" that her father was studying before he died.  The tree is able to withstand even the harshest environment, much like Cora.

This was a good book and I feel that it tackled a child's perspective of moving house to house and never knowing when it would finally be home.  I think the big piece of this book was Cora finding herself and the connection with the tree of heaven.  Cora is much like the tree of heaven in the fact that she is learning how to grow despite the harsh conditions she has to deal with.  This was really an inspirational point because we all have times in our lives where we don't think we are going to make it another day.  This tree is able to withstand poor conditions and yet it still grows and thrives.  This is what we as humans need to learn how to do too.  We need to learn that there are hard and difficult times and life, but we have to just persevere and keep moving forward because eventually there will be good days.

While I loved the overarching message of persevering I had some serious problems with the educational side of this book.  My biggest problem was with Adare's school.  They just left Adare on the steps after school, even though there wasn't anyone there to pick her up yet.  It is clear that Adare is in special classes and that she is very vulnerable.  I was so bothered that a child was stuck out on the steps and that when Cora was looking for her one day they didn't know where she was.  Schools, especially elementary, keep very close track to who picks up kids and where they are going after school.  It was just a very unrealistic depiction of elementary schools.

This was a quick read.  It had more of an open ending with the opportunity for a second book, but I honestly don't think it would be a good decision.  This book does have ties of homelessness and the loss of a parent.  I give this just 3 stars.  It was good, but it had no real fire or flare to it.  I recommend this to anyone who needs just a gentle tug on their heartstrings.