OPINIONS AND OPOSSUMS

A 12-year-old girl learns that questioning faith can make it stronger.

Agnes, named after a saint who at age 12 was dragged through the streets when she chose to devote herself to God rather than marry, is having a hard time believing in the God she’s been told about—an old man with a white beard. She can’t help but question the sexism of original sin and the cruelty of the Old Testament God. After helping to rescue a mother opossum, Agnes learns that playing dead is a survival skill for these marsupials. She comes to identify with the opossum—by going along with confirmation classes despite her doubts, is she merely “playing dead”? Through eye-opening talks with her anthropologist neighbor, creative writing exercises from the perspective of an opossum, and the powerful poetry of Maya Angelou, Agnes finds a version of God that makes sense to her and realizes she has the power to challenge authority. Braden crafts a nuanced story supported by clear metaphors and honest, deep emotions. Readers faced with similar situations will find support here even if it’s only the confirmation to keep questioning. As Agnes learns and grows, she comes to realize that there are many conceptions of religion and God—that God could be a Black woman, for instance. Agnes, her single mother, and most other characters are presumed White.

Mind-expanding.