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The Means That Make Us Strangers Kindle Edition

by Christine Kindberg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 134 ratings
See all formats and editions
"Powerful"—BookLife
"Entertaining and engaging" —Reviews from the Stacks
"Extraordinary and original" —Children's Bookwatch

Winner of the Christy Award for Young Adult!

Home is where your people are. But who are your people?

Adelaide has lived her whole life in rural Ethiopia as the white American daughter of an anthropologist. Then her family moves to South Carolina, in 1964.

Adelaide vows to find her way back to Ethiopia, marry Maicaah, and become part of the village for real. But until she turns eighteen, Adelaide must adjust to this strange, white place that everyone tells her is home. Then Adelaide becomes friends with the five African American students who sued for admission into the white high school. Even as she navigates her family's expectations and her mother's depression, Adelaide starts to enjoy her new friendships, the chance to learn new things, and the time she spends with a blond football player. Life in Greenville becomes interesting, and home becomes a much more complex equation.

Adelaide must finally choose where she belongs: the Ethiopian village where she grew up, to which she promised to return? Or this place where she's become part of something bigger than herself?

"Teen readers interested in the civil rights era will be enthralled by this nuanced story of race relations in the 1960s American South, seen through the eyes of a white girl raised in Ethiopia."—BookLife

"Christine Kindberg's fiction explores the complexity of identity, love, and faith with extraordinary intimacy and skill. Her bracing prose draws you into the lives of characters who live and breathe upon the page." —Naeem Murr, author of The Perfect Man (long-listed for the Man Booker Prize)

"The Means That Make Us Strangers is a beautifully written coming-of-age story that will satisfy experienced readers as well as younger ones. Christine Kindberg treats all of these characters graciously and with deep generosity. The result is a gorgeous meditation on growing up, experiencing love, and finding home.” —Pinckney Benedict, three-time winner of the Pushcart Prize, author of Dogs of God and Miracle Boy and Other Stories

From CHAPTER 1:
A tangle of arms reaching toward the fig tree. Among the thicket of deep-black arms stretching toward the fruit, two arms stood out, pale as a full moon.
I remember thinking how different those arms looked, while waiting for fruit to drop as Maicaah shook the branch. A fig hit the white hands and fell to the ground, and it was with shock that I felt the pain in my hands.
The others scrambled to get the figs that had landed in the grass. I stayed standing, turning my hands over and over in the sunlight that filtered through the leaves.
When Kinci stood up, I pulled her wrist until her arm was elbow-to-elbow with mine. Our arms were the same length, and we both had beaded cuffs of yellow, purple, green, and red beads in the same zig-zag pattern. Underneath and around her bracelet, the skin of her arm was as dark as a burnt clay pot, with pink scar spots where she'd scratched at bug bites. My arm was the color of dried grass, even paler in the crease of my elbow, against the contrast of the dirt that gathered there.
"I'm white," I said.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    266 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    8 - 12
  5. Publication date
    July 20, 2019
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An extraordinary and original novel... A deftly crafted and impressively entertaining story from first page to last." --Children's Bookwatch

"It made me feel like I was there--running through the grass, climbing the trees, smelling the fires and tasting the pomegranates and figs." --Englewood Review of Books

"Entertaining and engaging... Adelaide is a wonderful protagonist." --Reviews from the Stacks

"A beautifully written coming-of-age story that will satisfy experienced readers as well as younger ones. A gorgeous meditation on growing up, experiencing love, and finding home." --Pinckney Benedict, three-time winner of the Pushcart Prize, author of Dogs of God and Miracle Boy and Other Stories

"Christine Kindberg's fiction explores the complexity of identity, love, and faith with extraordinary intimacy and skill." --Naeem Murr, author of The Perfect Man (long-listed for the Man Booker Prize)

About the Author

Christine Kindberg was born in Peru and grew up in Chile, Panama, Kentucky, and North Carolina. She studied creative writing at Wheaton College and has an MFA in fiction writing from Queens University of Charlotte. She now calls the Chicago area home, and, when not writing novels, she works as a Spanish-language editor at Tyndale House Publishers.

You can read more at ChristineKindberg.com, and you can follow her on Instagram @Christine.Kindberg, Facebook @Christine.Kindberg.Author, and Twitter @ChristineKndbrg.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07RQHPQ5V
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bellflower Press (July 20, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 20, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4458 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 266 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 134 ratings

About the author

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Christine Kindberg

Christine Kindberg

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Christine Kindberg was born in Peru and grew up in Chile, Panama, Kentucky, and North Carolina. She studied creative writing at Wheaton College and has an MFA in fiction writing from Queens University of Charlotte. She now calls the Chicago area home, and, when not writing novels, she works as a Spanish-language editor at Tyndale House Publishers.

You can read more at ChristineKindberg.com, and you can follow her on Instagram @Christine.Kindberg, Facebook @Christine.Kindberg.Author, and Twitter @ChristineKndbrg.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
134 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Renee
5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic characters and conflict. Kept me reading!
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
Christine Kindberg has an absolute gift for describing the different cultures that create conflicting pulls for her main character, Adelie. From a White girl growing up in Ethiopia to a White teen thrust unexpectedly into the Civil Rights movement in South Carolina. I felt the tension as she struggled to understand the differences of the geography, standard of living, and customs. I rooted for whatever decision she made in the end — to stay in the US or return to Ethiopia. Her journey is at times joyful and somber. The people in her life are relatable. The conflicts in her heart and in the community around her are so authentic, it kept me scrolling. I’m happy to recommend this book.
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Avid Reader and Mom
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2021
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A beautifully written novel that evokes a variety of emotions. A coming of age story that spans continents, races, and life experiences. An easy and enjoyable read.
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Brandie Muncaster
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book about our human struggle with race and cultural identity.
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2022
Verified Purchase
An excellent read for anyone who cares deeply about the struggle we face regarding race and cultural identity. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait for the next one!
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Shen Shenanigans
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Touching
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
Of course I was completely head-over-heels in love with this story. The theme is one that isn't explored often enough in literature, and as someone who knows how it feels like to struggle with "cultural identity," I really appreciated it being the focal point of a novel! The setting of the book also took us back to a time and place where racial prejudice ran unchecked. It was beautifully handled.

It's a pretty quick read for a YA novel, too, and the plot kept me turning pages. While I didn't connect to Adelaide as a character, the experiences she went through did it for me xD Which may not be the same case for everyone, but she was a very likable protagonist and I found myself rooting for her all the way.

The only thing I really didn't like was the ending... It made me so sad, and it felt like one final thread of the story--coincidentally the longest thread--was left unresolved. I mean, it was resolved in a way, but at the same time it kind of wasn't; but that's just me and my inability to handle endings like that. *marches off crying*

Even so, I DEFINITELY recommend this book, 10/10. Perhaps you'd handle that ending better than I can.
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The Book Faerie
5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Story of The Color of Friendship
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
Christine Kindberg has woven a perfect story of humanity. It's not just a book you should want to read, it's a book that you NEED to read. At a time where we seem to have forgotten what this country used to be like before integration, this is a story to remind us that in our perception of "greatness" isn't color blind.

The characters are well rounded and believable. The plot flows at a good pace, and the depth of nuance is amazing. Many people may be nervous by a white writer writing what is essentially a story about the struggles of black people during integration. The genius of the way the story is told is that we're still seeing it unfold from the eyes of a white girl, so it never feels inauthentic to the writer. She still manages to deliver a good look at white privilege and the difficulty of black people in the South. If one cares to take the time to think about it, one can find the links between this story and we're we stand today.
6 people found this helpful
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DarkMike
5.0 out of 5 stars Don’t be a stranger to this novel!
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
Kindberg creates fully formed and real characters, and treats their stories with empathy. The book transports you to fascinating settings, from Ethiopia to South Carolina in the 1960s, using history to provide important commentary still relevant today. More than anything, her lyrical yet familiar and always genuine voice drew me in and helped me connect with the people populating these pages. It will no doubt also keep me reading when her next book is released!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent novel!
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
One of the best books I have read in a long time! Christine Kindberg has developed characters that are as real as your friends and neighbors. She touches on so many facets of life and growing up, and the effect of choices we make. I enjoyed this book so much, and it will stay in my mind a long time. I would love to see a discussion guide for this book since it would make a great book for a book club. I hope to read more books from this excellent new novelist!
One person found this helpful
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SS Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Unique Coming of Age Story
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
Unique coming of age story.

After spending all of the childhood she can remember in Ethiopia, Adelaide and her family return to Greenville, South Carolina in 1964. Adelaide is not at all happy to be leaving the place she calls home and immediately begins plotting her return.

Life in the United States is a huge culture shock for Adelaide. She doesn't understand why white students in her newly integrated high school don't want to socialize with the black students. Clothing, homes, food and much more are also changes for Adelaide to adjust to.

Engaging novel and I look forward to what this author will write next.
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Top reviews from other countries

rothkehlchen
5.0 out of 5 stars Best TCK-Story I read until now!
Reviewed in Germany on December 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
Very well written story about the dilemma most TCKs (Third Culture Kids) face, when moving back "home" after growing up in a very different culture. Experienced it myself as a kid, the feeling of being a stranger in both cultures. It's still a part of me. I think this story can help many young TCKs in similar situations, to take good decisions...and I hope it will help also the readers in general to understand them. My personal thanks to the author for this story!!! I did like the ending. Well done!
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Clair
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read. Really enjoyed it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2020
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Brilliant book.
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