The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

 

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

         Johnson, V. (2019). The parker inheritance. Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780545946179

Twelve-year-old Candice Miller has no plans for the summer, that is, until she finds a mysterious letter addressed to her deceased grandmother.  The contents of this letter?  A puzzle whose solver is promised a fortune of millions.  The catch?  The solvers must unveil the hidden history of their town, Lambert.  Candice, with the help of her friend and neighbor Albert, embarks on a journey throughout the town to find the fortune and uncover the town's hidden history.

The Parker Inheritance is a novel set in 2007, with flashbacks set over 100 years in the past.  The Parker Inheritance stitches between Candice's point of view and various members' points of view in the Washington family, which is part of the family she needs to learn about if she plans on having any chance of uncovering the promised millions.  Johnson does a great job at switching points of view, with each switch being clearly labeled at the top, with the character's name and the period.  The mystery aspect is done well, as clues are slowly (but steadily) revealed in the book, leaving the reader eager to keep reading to learn more about the mysterious Washington family and how their history is tied to their fortune.  

This book is intended for older readers, as the author does not shy away from African Americans' struggles over 100 years ago. While all the flashbacks are done tastefully, and there is no vulgar language or negative stereotypes, a younger reader may not be able to comprehend why African Americans were treated the way they were and why one of the characters (***SPOILER ALERT***)  feels the need to "change his race" to stay safe, as a way to stay safe.  The title is very diverse in that the topics mentioned in The Parker Inheritance include LGBTQ representation, racism, bullying, divorce, friendship, relationships, and the longing and determination to right the wrongs of the past.  With such a wide array of topics being discussed, there's something for every reader in this book!

Candice and her friend Albert are well-written characters, they are very fleshed out, and their feelings and actions are reflective of 11 and 12-year-olds, and this is coming from a middle school teacher!  I love the friendship that they develop throughout the book, from the hesitant next-door neighbors to the friends who stick up for each other through all their moments of struggles and triumphant Even when they inherited the multi-million dollar fortune, they did not lose sight of their friendship and appreciation they have for each other, and their goal of bringing justice to the Washington family.  Their friendship is one for the ages, showing readers that friends are one of the most priceless things you can have in life, and they are your friends.  

After reading The Parker Inheritance, Varian Johnson has a Q&A located at the end of the book, where he discusses the inspiration for the book and talks more in-depth about the prejudices mentioned in the book, such as segregation, Briggs v. Elliott, and why African Americans may have felt the need to pass as white.  This Q&A is a great resource to discuss with older readers once they finish the book so they can have an open and honest, unjudged discussion about racism and its effects. These older readers can also research more about cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, Briggs v. Elliott, and the baseball player James Raleigh "Biz" Mackey (mentioned in the book).

What do readers think of The Parker Inheritance?   Kirkus Reviews calls The Parker Inheritance "A candid and powerful reckoning of history."   If you enjoyed The Parker Inheritican, you may also enjoy the book Hidden Figures by Margot Shettererly.

Some of the Awards:

• 2019 Coretta Scott King Honor Book
• 2019 Odyessy Audiobook Honor
• 2018 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book (Fiction and Poetry)
• Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2018
• Kirkus Reviews Best Book 2018
• School Library Journal Best Book of 2018

Citations: 

Johnson, V. (2018, March 27). The parker inheritance. Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/varian-johnson/the-parker-inheritance/

Johnson, V. (2019). The parker inheritance. Scholastic Inc.

The parker inheritance. Varian Johnson, Author. (2021, May 28). https://varianjohnson.com/books/the-parker-inheritance/