When the Crickets Stopped Singing

Set in the summer of 1939, this sensitive, coming-of-age historical novel explores the complex nature of justice as a young girl struggles to stand up for what she knows is right, even when her community wants to turn the other way. It’s the calm before the storm of World War II in small-town Messina, California. Angie Wallace and her friends have set out on a mission to “love thy neighbor”—even if that means inviting weird Dodie Crumper to join in their summer plans. But as they move through their neighborly to-do list, the girls can’t help but notice that there’s something strange about the sudden return of Jefferson Clement, particularly when it comes to his behavior around young girls. And when Angie thinks she witnesses a terrible accident, she must make a choice that calls into question everything she understands about truth and justice.