One True Way

by Shannon Hitchcock

A heartening story of two girls who discover their friendship is something more. But how, among their backward town, will Sam and Allie face what they know is true about themselves?

Welcome to Daniel Boone Middle School in the 1970s, where teachers and coaches must hide who they are, and girls who like girls are forced to question their own choices. Presented in the voice of a premier storyteller, One True Way sheds exquisite light on what it means to be different, while at the same time being wholly true to oneself. Through the lives and influences of two girls, readers come to see that love is love is love. Set against the backdrop of history and politics that surrounded gay rights in the 1970s South, this novel is a thoughtful, eye-opening, look at tolerance, acceptance, and change, and will widen the hearts of all readers.

Genres: Middle Grade, LGBT, Historical Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Historical, Queer

224 pages, Hardcover

First published February 27, 2018

About the author

SHANNON HITCHCOCK grew up in rural North Carolina on a 100-acre farm. Her extended family and love of the south are integral to her stories. Shannon is the author of ONE TRUE WAY, (Scholastic 2018), RUBY LEE & ME, (Scholastic 2016), and the Crystal Kite Award-winning, THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL. Shannon's picture book biography, OVERGROWN JACK was nominated for the Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award. Her writing has been published in Highlights for Children, Cricket, Children’s Writer, and other magazines.

Shannon currently divides her time between Hendersonville, NC and Tampa, Florida.

Reviews

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's no doubt that this is an important story, but I personally feel like it lacked personality and I struggled to connect to the characters. It wasn't a bad read, but it isn't a new favorite for me.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the uniqueness of this LGBTQIA middle grade novel taking place in the 70’s (instead of today). I also liked the different religious philosophies within the community about homosexuality, instead of a blanketed Christian response.

[Katy O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

ONE TRUE WAY is an accessible and relatable look at a 7th grade girl's realization that she is gay, and the surrounding homophobia in small town America in the 1970s. Hitchcock's prose is sparse, and due to its hopeful story arc, this fairly simplistic slim novel will be just what some children in our world will need at some point in their lives - access to books like this is crucial for today's youth, whether for teens who are coming out themselves or for friends of teens wrestling with this decision.
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I don't necessarily see this book as having overwhelming literary appeal, but the message of the story about self-acceptance and the struggle to come out in a Christian family is a welcome one. The inclusion of an adult lesbian couple and differing opinions from religious leaders add depth to the story, as does the contrasting messages regarding counseling. The author's note explains that although this is not an #ownvoices story, she did have a number of sensitivity readers who helped shape her work.
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Recommended for middle school libraries - grades 5 and up. The content does gravitate toward the younger side, but I am unsure at this time whether I will be purchasing for my elementary school or not. I will be purchasing for my combined middle/high school library upon publication.
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Thanks to the #kidlitexchange network for this review copy ~ all opinions are my own!
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[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

One True Way is a story that deals with complex issues like sexuality, the death of a sibling, parents separating, and religion in a very simple (and accessible) way. The protagonist explains everything outright. She will show something, and then tell it, just in case the reader didn't get it.

While the narrator is a seventh grader, the writing and simplicity make the story ideal for 9-11 year olds. I feel that seventh graders themselves would find this story a smidge boring, the writing unremarkable.

I really wish we could get away from a parent being accepting of a child's being gay only because that parent has a gay family member. Acceptance should not require personal experience.

What is up with Allie and her mom moving to be closer to grandparents and then the grandparents are completely absent from the story?

That said, I am always for 20th century historical fiction, and I am always for diverse reads for diverse kids.

If I were a ten-year-old questioning my identity perhaps I would be riveted by this one.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: ONE TRUE WAY by Shannon Hitchcock, Scholastic, February 2018, 224p., ISBN: 978-1-338-18172-2

“There will come a time when everybody who is lonely
Will be free to sing and dance and love”
--Frank Zappa, March 1968

“On Monday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal law already prohibits anti-gay employment discrimination. Its 10-3 decision in Zarda v. Altitude Express is a landmark victory for gay rights, affirming the growing judicial consensus that sexual orientation discrimination constitutes discrimination ‘because of sex.’”
--Slate, February 2018

Do you remember your first crush?

“I was changing in all sorts of ways. The girl who had moved to North Carolina six weeks earlier would have never climbed on a horse’s back. That girl would have been too afraid. I felt like Wonder Woman’s kid sister!
I leaned against the fence while Sam turned Penny out to pasture. I watched while she closed the gate and walked toward me. Somehow in that moment, I understood why I was jealous of Phoebe and irritated by poor Webb. I knew why I had raced to answer the phone, and why I could hardly wait to see Sam each day. I liked her. I had a crush on her. It was, to borrow a word from Webb...stupendous!
‘Why do you look so serious?’ Sam asked.
I reached into my back pocket and handed her the gold yarn friendship bracelet. ‘I made it out of school colors for you. Phoebe showed me how.’
Sam slipped it onto her wrist. ‘See? A perfect fit.’
I reached out and touched her arm just above the bracelet. ‘Do you like Phoebe more than me?’
‘I like all my friends.’
But that wasn’t what I was asking.
Sam turned and stared directly into my eyes. ‘I don’t like anybody as much as you.’
My heart hammered so hard I could barely breathe.”

ONE TRUE WAY takes place during the fall of 1977, back in the Stone Age of LGBTQ rights. It’s narrated by twelve-year-old Allie Drake, whose big brother’s recent death in an auto accident has led to her parent’s breakup and, in turn, to her mother relocating with Allie to North Carolina. There, at Daniel Boone Middle School, Allie meets the popular and athletic Samantha (Sam) Johnson. Sam has known that she’s gay since experiencing a crush in second grade.

ONE TRUE WAY is framed around a trio of same-sex relationships:
Allie’s paternal uncle Jeffrey and his male partner, neither of whom we meet, live together up north.
Coach Murphy and English teacher Miss Holt, we learn, are secretly a lesbian couple.
And, potentially, Allie and Sam.

There is plenty of parental tension: Sam’s fundamentalist parents consider homosexuals to be perverts and abominations, and they already suspect the truth about their daughter. Allie’s parents are living a thousand miles apart and Allie is longing for a reconciliation.

Allie briefly experiments with trying to think and act heterosexual, but it’s clear that she can’t rewire herself to conform. Fortunately for Allie and Sam, there are a lot of enlightened and supportive adults in this otherwise backward, rural, 1970’s town. Unfortunately, two of those supporters are Coach Murphy and Miss Holt who are being forced out of their jobs, having been offered a good recommendation in exchange for going away.

Interestingly, in doing a bit of research on the subject, I learned that a few months after this story is set, President Jimmy Carter traveled to California and spoke out against the Briggs Initiative, which would have banned gays, lesbians, and anyone who spoke out in favor of gay rights from teaching in California public schools. Fortunately, it failed.

I can recall, at the end of sixth grade, feeling something special toward a girl for the first time. I’ve often wondered what it was like for my grown-up gay and lesbian friends to first realize that they were attracted to those of the same sex. There aren’t many age-appropriate stories for upper elementary and middle school students that explore this aspect of coming of age.

It’s fulfilling, in the wake of this week’s landmark judicial decision, to be able to read about the past, know that the law is henceforth on the side of fairness and inclusivity, and recognize that--at least in large swaths of America--middle school kids coming to know themselves today don’t have to face what high school friends of mine faced back in our day.

Nevertheless, in her Afterword, the author cites a source stating that “‘suicide is the leading cause of death among Gay and Lesbian youth nationally.’” Not only is it essential that young people have the opportunity to see themselves in books like this, but it is important for the rest of us to become enlightened about what they are experiencing.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential diverse middle grade read that I adored from start to finish. Allie and Sam become quick best friends, but question themselves when they start to develop crushes on eachother. Others in their small town don't acknowledge that two of the women teachers at their school live together, and most who do say it's wrong. But if that's true, why do Allie and Sam feel so right? Set in the 1970's, this book is not oversimplified for kids, yet maintains the sweetness and innocence of middle school crushes.

[sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just so sad. I don't know why I keep reading lgbt middle grade books but honestly it's just horrible seeing kids suffer through discrimination and being abandoned by their parents because of who they love. I loved the story overall and I would've liked a better resolve for Sam's parents situation but I know real life doesn't work that way.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this book to fill a gap in my classroom library. I first heard about it through Twitter.

My classroom library does lack in romances. This year I'm teaching 6th grade. At the beginning of the year, the students tend not to be interested in romance. We are now at Spring Break and the students are changing. There's an arising interest in romance. By the end of the year, the majority of my students will be "dating," much to their parents' horror.

The kid in this story reminds me of my students. They begin school not much interested in romance. She sounds as innocent as my students. She's had a rough time, as many of them do, with the death of a sibling and the impending divorce of her parents. (Parents' divorces and braces seem almost mandatory for middle school.) Then the magical moment occurs and she becomes interested in romance.

I connected with the wanting to be a "good girl" and the drawings in the chapter headings. I remember drawing those. Only the flower drawings were missing. I also remember how it felt when I realized that adults were disappointing me because they were so involved in their own pain that they couldn't recognize mine. In other words, despite myself, I connected.

I'll probably get in trouble when I put this in my classroom library but it's worth it. If I have to carry heterosexual romances, then I have to carry homosexual romances. It's only fair. And this one, I believe, was deftly handled.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC from a local bookseller to write a review.

This book will be joining my classroom.

Set in the 1970's in the South, Allie deals with a lot of intense topics for this time period including divorce, the rising power of mega-churches, women's rights and the struggles many homosexual people faced in small, southern towns during this period.

Through a wit and charm that'll have you forgetting her age, Allie wrestles with what it means to follow her heart and if a person can honestly choose to be gay or straight.

I'm sure some critics will say the supportive teachers and friends depicted here are unrealistic and many more people would be like Ms. Johnson, but without giving too much away, I believe Hitchcock is teaching young people inclusion and equality through the voices of her characters and she does it so well.

This feels like a innocent, yet complicated love story mixed with a family drama, and truly, that's the magic formula for kids ages 10-14.

Fantastic.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventh grader Allison (Allie) Drake has just moved to North Carolina in 1977 with her mother and is attending Daniel Boone Middle School. Her family is fractured due to the death of her older brother Eric, and her parents are separated. Allie is trying to pull her life back together while dealing with her mother's fears and overprotective nature. She quickly finds a place on the school newspaper and gets to know several classmates, aided by the friendly and welcoming Samantha Johnson, a basketball star that everyone seems to like. Sam is kind and comfortable in her own skin, and eventually Allie realizes that her friend is gay and that she is attracted to Sam too as more than a friend. But Sam's family is very conservative, and they are members of One True Way, a religious group that has no tolerance for gay individuals. Even while fending off the romantic intentions of Webster, the newspaper editor who has a crush on her, Allie is torn between her true feelings and possibly hurting her mother and the safe path that means hiding her feelings and identity. There were moments in this touching story that made me wince in anticipation of judgmental comments and attitudes, but overall, except for Sam's parents, the therapist and minister that Allie confided in were calm, nonjudgmental, and gave helpful advice. Readers will quickly realize that there is a special relationship between Coach and Miss Holt, and how for the most part, the community looked the other way, but once the Johnsons--or at least Mrs. Johnson--felt threatened by that relationship and how it might impact their daughter, that open secret suddenly jeopardized their livelihood. The book might seem dated by today's standards, but it does offer an important historical perspective on the progress that has been in this arena as well as just how hard it once was/still is to be true to oneself in certain areas. Readers will close the book, certain that there is no one true way to love or to worship, for that matter. This is a solid addition to a collection exploring identity, sexuality, and loss. Being different or embracing one's differences is never easy to do, but these two girls show readers the way. While there is no happy ending and there are still unresolved issues, there is still hope once readers reach the final pages.

[Hallie]

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book--all opinions are my own.

One True Way is a middle grade novel set in 1977 about being true to yourself. Allie is a seventh grader trying to deal with her feelings for another girl, moving to a new place, and getting used to her recently separated parents. Allie's recently moved to North Carolina from New Jersey after her brother died in a car accident and her parents decided to live separately.  Allie and her mother find comfort in their new town through church and building friendships. Allie also finds some sense of normalcy again when she meets Sam, an all-star athlete and friend to everyone.  Allie and Sam start to have complicated feelings for each other. Allie hasn't had feelings for another girl before and she's worried about what will happen when people find out. One True Way is a middle school romance about finding the courage to be yourself. 

This book prominently featured Allie's relationship to her religion in a positive light. Both Allie and her mother seek guidance from the local Methodist minister, Reverend Walker. Allie struggles with her feelings for Sam because she isn't sure how having feelings for another girl fits into her spirituality and Christian religion. Sam's mother, who found out Sam had feelings for another girl in the past, has made it very clear that she thinks homosexuality is unacceptable and a sin. But what does Allie's fairly liberal mother think? Throughout the book, Allie tries to confront her feelings, her religion's teachings on homosexuality, and her mother's perspective. This book carefully and sensitively includes Christianity in a thoughtful discussion on identity. It provides a mirror for gay Christian kids who feel hurt by being left out and sometimes shunned by their religion. Allie finds so much love from her church and her family. The book also positively features counseling, both religious and secular, as a tool for mental health. 

One True Way also highlights historical information about how homosexuality was perceived in the past. Allie gets advice from a lesbian teacher and her reverend that her and Sam's safety is important to consider before coming out in the 1970s. Sam's home life is not currently conducive to her coming out because her mother is homophobic, while Allie's home life allows her to explore her feelings more. Hitchcock offers many perspectives on religion, safe spaces, and letting yourself blossom. This is an excellent addition to middle school collections.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the weekend, I got a chance to read Shannon Hitchcock's newest.

Set in 1977 North Carolina, ONE TRUE WAY tells the story of Allie, a new student to Daniel Boone Middle School. One of the first students she meets is the friendly and widely-connected Sam. Sam sets forth a series of meetings for Allie one of which puts the brand new students on the DB newspaper staff.

But much of what could be news is carefully kept out of wraps. Away from peering eyes and the pages of the paper. And given the time frame, this is most necessary for those involved.

As Allie and Sam's friendship grows into something that looks like a crush moving toward love, there are questions that must be answered. Allie comes from a family that has been broken by loss. Allie's mother has taken a job as the local librarian which puts her into contact with what will become a support circle around the two protagonist. But, the loss of Allie's brother has made that circle even smaller with a mother who is protective of her daughter while being open to the expressions of love that she observes around her.

Sam's parents are more fundamental and Sam lives in an environment wherein she hears each and every day what the Bible says about homosexuals.

As Allie and Sam grow closer, they are pulled into the middle of faith and fidelity. Of the absences of fathers and the teachings of the Father. Hitchcock weaves into her narrative a wonderful and compassionate minister who presents the delicate balance of the teachings of the church and the leanings of the heart. One of the gifts of having read this book is to have made contact with the real-life Reverend Walker and this has been a real blessing. She is a character within the book not to be missed.

Hitchcock also presents within Allie's father, Mr. Drake, a broken and hurting patriarch who is able to suspend what he needs to heal to address the needs of his daughter's heart to love and to love freely. He is not a character to be missed for his presentation of responsiveness and sensitivity.

This book is a celebration of teachers as well in the two in the story who coach and befriend the two protagonists. No spoilers, but the treatment of these teachers is a direct allusion to the time period of the story. As an LGBTQ text, ONE TRUE WAY should be appreciated by readers as a comment on how far we have come as a culture. Allie and Sam are coming out just as the country would come into the deeper misunderstandings of homosexuality of the 80's and early 90's. The story is a trip back in time to love in a time of intolerance.

ONE TRUE WAY is, in my opinion, the TWO BOYS KISSING for middle great readers. With nods to young adult titles like THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, Hitchcock's story should be on the reading radar of those working with younger readers.

[Jenni Frencham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allie and her mom move to the South after her brother dies in a car accident and her dad separates from her mom. Allie meets Sam at school, and quickly learns that Sam likes girls and that Allie herself also likes girls. But this is 1977, and it's not safe for girls who like girls to advertise this fact. Allie discovers that two of her female teachers are also not just roommates. She and her mom seek advice from their church regarding Allie's sexuality.

What I Liked: The book reads as a solid middle grade story. It's told in a simple matter. Religion is featured prominently but is not mocked.

What I Didn't Like: The 1970s setting makes this read more like a memoir for Generation X adults rather than a book for middle grade students. There are so many things that date this story - Allie's use of a typewriter, the mimeographed notes that Sam receives from a friend, even simple things like Allie's choice to change into a dress before dinner. These date markers almost mark this as historical fiction, but the topic itself rates this as a contemporary book. I think it would have been more successful as a memoir aimed at adults rather than a cute middle grade story with an important message hidden in a very dated wrapper.

Recommended for: adults, really; middle grade
Red Flags: none
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Annie on My Mind

[Bethany Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was possibly one of my favorite books I have read this year. It had such an emotional plot and left me wanting to read more. I loved watching Sam and Allie's relationship bloom and seeing what it was like back in the 1970's.

[uniquareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kelsey McLane · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great way to reach teens and tweens about LGBTQ relationships. Allie and Sam are completely lovable characters that are not only trying to sort out their feelings, but also trying to be who they are living in the South with many people who find gay people to be abominations. Readers will be able to connect with both girls as they traverse their middle school lives.

[Shannon Hitchcock]

I've developed a fun resource called A 70s Immersion for teachers using ONE TRUE WAY. You can download it for free here: http://www.shannonhitchcock.com/wp-co...

A wise author once said to me, "You will never write something everyone will love so instead picture a specific person and write for them." I wrote ONE TRUE WAY for kids who are being raised in conservative churches. I wanted them to know that ministers like Reverend Walker exist and that different people interpret the Bible differently.

I feel qualified to write about that because I grew up in such a church and watched firsthand what its teachings did to someone I love.

It's easy to think we've moved beyond what it was like in 1977, and in some areas of the country, we have. But in Florida where I live, and in rural North Carolina, where I grew up, we have not. Articles like this one tell me we have a long way to go: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...

[EJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how good this ended up being - I expected a fairly formulaic book about Issues, but it was actually a sweet story. The 70s references were a little heavy handed at times, but that's to be expected for a middle grade novel I guess. I really appreciated how the kids were allowed to have feelings and they were valid - even though the adults in the story, true to form, kept trying to invalidate them. Whether or not an identity crisis is a 'phase' or not, kids and young adults deserve to have their thoughts and feelings respected just as much, and honestly - pretty much all of life is made up of 'phases' so saying something is 'just a phase' is like saying parts of your identity and life don't matter or shouldn't matter.
I also appreciated how there were various religious figures in the story that really detailed both sides of the issue, and how it really encouraged both the main characters and the reader to read the Bible and pray and come to your own conclusion rather than simply parroting others.

[E.R. Santana · Rating 4 out of 5]

One True Way puede tener una premisa sencilla, dos niñas descubriendo sus sentimientos la una por la otra en una pequeña ciudad sureña de Estados Unidos, pero abarca mucho más.

El duelo, el trauma religioso y las complicadas emociones que afectan a los niños tras la separación de los padres. y siento que trató de forma muy apropiado y perfecta para el público al que va dirigido.

Se nota que la autora les puso mucho cariño a los personajes (Sam y la reverenda Walker mis favs) y es una buena lectura para pasar el rato si quieres algo ligero, tranquilo y soft.

Me hubiera gustado mucho tener el POV de Sam para saber como se sentía en esos momentos difíciles y tal vez que fuera un poco más largo con más interacciones románticas entre la pareja principal.

La narrativa también me pareció un tanto simple (entendible teniendo en cuenta que es un libro middle grade), pero aun así me emocioné con todas las interacciones entre Sam y Allie.

⭐⭐⭐✨
3.5 estrellas (casi 4) <3

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was partial to this book for many reasons. I'm queer and very interested in LGBTQ literature for children, it takes place in the seventies and there is a religious component. The religious component in the story is very sobering since many youth and adults still face this today. Allie has gone through extreme loss in the the last year as her older brother Eric died in a car accident and her parents are going through a divorce. She has moved with her librarian mother to a small town in North Carolina and she meets Sam, all around fantastic girl who excels in basketball, horses, and people. Allie realizes she is gay when she falls for Sam and this novel shows how she begins to navigate a journey that will be anything but easy. But finding your happiness is never easy.

[Danni Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of the story sounded good, but something about it felt like a significant disconnect between the story and the way it was being told. When I reached the end and saw in the author's note that she is not LGBQ-identified herself but wrote this book to make sense of how she handled her friend coming out as gay, it was clearer to me why the book felt "off". I've read books about trans characters written by cis people before, but I can't think of the last time I read a book primarily about LGBQ characters written by a straight person, so I just wasn't expecting that when I picked this one up. It wasn't "bad" or offensive, it just felt inauthentic.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that this fills a niche and that the author wrote it with that in mind because there are not many books for younger teens or kids about coming out or being gay. I found this to be a bit simple and one of the characters really annoyed me and the entire religious angle may turn some off, but it's besides the point because this wasn't written for me. I'm happy to have this as a recommendation should I ever need it.

[Teddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a really great book for younger middle grade readers. The story was cute, and I really really loved that the author emphasized several times not just that it's important to be true to yourself, but also that if you're in an unsafe situation, you shouldn't feel like you have to come out -- that it's more important to prioritize your safety. I really wish I'd had a book like this as a kid. It would have made me feel a lot safer & a lot less alone.

[Joyce Sweeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon Hitchcock has created a sweet, innocent story of first love from an LGBTQ perspective. Like all of Shannon's novels, this one draws its power from genuine characters who have genuine feelings.
Set in the 1970's in the midst of Anita Bryant's anti-gay campaign, Allie finds herself crushing on her new best friend Samantha and realizes immediately she has a whole new world to navigate...in her family, in her church, in her community and in her world. What I like best about the novel, besides Allie and Sam themselves, is that most of the prejudice shown here is perpetrated by the adults, not the kids. A lovely compassionate look about finding your own heart pitted against what society says you should feel.

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not #ownvoices, but the sensitively told story of what it feels like for a girl to start to understand that she is attracted to girls, not boys. Strong adult mentors (two gay teachers in her school who eventually have to quit their jobs and leave town -- it's 1977, after all) help her navigate.

[Sarah Hadd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book with LGBT characters that could actually be appropriate for middle grades! That doesn’t happen often. A bit too many biblical references, but that may have to do with it being set in the 1970’s.

[Jaie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid book. I don't know about these book classifications, but this is for a younger crowd than YA. This would be appropriate to share with a 2nd grader I think, at least my 2nd graders. Especially in a read-out-loud situation.

[. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, An important book about confusion around sexuality and the diversity of possible reactions from parents, peers, and religious communities. Not much character development, so difficult to become emotionally engaged, but I appreciate the effort. And it’s also heartening to see how far novels in this genre have come in the past five years. Then as now, the moral imperative of listening to, protecting, and supporting ALL kids must remain a primary commitment of all educators.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1970’s. Two middle school girls deal with their sexuality and the reactions of others.

[whataslacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Growing up in the 70s I wasn’t this self aware. Wish a book like this would have been around for me back then.