Lilac and the Switchback

by Cordelia Jensen

A riveting middle grade novel in verse for any kid who has ever felt unwanted, uncomfortable, or unsure of where they fit in.

Lilac has lived with her aunt, uncle, and cousin ever since her mom died. She already feels like an “extra” member of a family that doesn’t have enough money or space.

Then she finds out her aunt is pregnant with twins, due soon after Lilac turns thirteen. How could they possibly want her around when they’ll have two more kids in their crowded home? As she struggles to process her feelings about the pregnancy, Lilac drifts apart from her best friend Callie, leaving Lilac lonelier than ever.

In a timely twist of fate, Lilac discovers a check sent by her estranged father. Maybe he is the family she’s been looking for... and maybe it’s worth risking everything to find him. After all, how much does the “extra” kid really have to lose?

Poignant, and full of both growing pains and healing, this sensitive story told in lyrical verse is just right for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Andrea Beatriz Arango.

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Childrens, Novel In Verse

304 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[Katie Reilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle grade novel in verse about family, friendships, and finding yourself.

Favorite lines:

Page 257:
I think of being extra.
How that can sometimes mean unneeded.
But it can also mean
“more than,”
a surprise you weren’t expecting
but one you welcome,
want, even.

Page 292:
Love might not mean
always knowing the right time
to tell the whole story,
but it does mean knowing
how to forgive.

CW: mentions of vaping, addiction and using.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in verse, we meet Lilac Ethel Jones, who has been living with her Uncle Mack, Aunt Truly, and cousin Charla after her mother's death in a car accident when she was six. Life is pretty good; her uncle is a nurse, her aunt works at Wrap N Rolz and treats her and Charla to an evening at the shop every Friday, and she has her best friend, Callie. When a letter arrives from England and she finds that her long absent father, Simon, has sent a check for her upkeep, Lilac starts to question why she hasn't been in contact with him. She's even more motivated to hear from him when Truly announces that she is pregnant with twins. This causes some money worries, and Lilac starts to wonder if her family really wants her around. Things are a little rocky in seventh grade, as Callie takes French and starts to hand out with Charla more. Since Charla is a moody teen who seems to resent Lilac's presence in her life, this is disconcerting. Lilac has a math partner, Eli, who shares her father's Jewish heritage, and she investigates this part of her background. She also gets involved in a hiking group at school (hence the title) that is working on cleaning up a path in the forest. When the 7th and 8th grade make plans to take a field trip to Philadelphia, Lilac brings up the zoo, where her mother worked. When that is added as a destination, she asks Simon, who has been e mailing her, to meet her there. She even sends him money for the plane ticket, and he agrees to fly over. As tensions escalate in her household, Lilac yells at Truly for keeping things from her, and spends the night with her new friend Hyacinth and her grandmother before the trip. When Simon doesn't show up, she is devastated, but there's a bigger problem; Truly's pre eclampsia has sent her into premature labor, and the family gathers at the hospital for the birth of the twins. Will Lilac be able to make peace with her past, and feel comfortable in her family, once she knows more about her life?
Strengths: Lilac's family struggles a bit, but manages to make do. Her classmates also have some challenges; Hyacinth lives with her grandmother because her mother can't take care of her, and her brothers live with her father. There are any manner of surprises that can hit families, and Truly's high risk pregnancy is realistically portrayed. The friend drama is always a good inclusion in a middle grade, and having Lilac's best friend take up with her cousin was a nice twist. It was also good to see that Charla was actually fairly nice. The absent father was well explained after Lilac spent the book being a bit angry about her situation because she hadn't been given all the details.
Weaknesses: February seems like an odd time of year to plan an outside field trip with middle school students in Pennsylvania. The odds of unpleasant weather seem unnecessarily high.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who are interested in stories about grief and alternative families like Carr's Lost Kites and Other Treasures, Fusco's The Secret of Honeycake, or Watson's All the Blues in the Sky.
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[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have discovered yet another character who has pulled at my heartstrings and shared a story with which many middle grade readers will identify. Lilac is a seventh grader trying to find her place in her family, her school, and life.

When Lilac’s mother died in a car accident, she went to live with her Uncle Mack, her aunt Truly who was her mother’s best friend, and her one-year-older cousin Charla. Lilac still feels like she is an extra—her cousin is a sometimes friend but most times acts like she resents the intrusion, her uncle works nights to try to make more money to support the family, but Lilac is close to her aunt.

However, seventh grade is a year of changes; some of which are unwelcome. Her best friend and confident Callie joins the French Club and starts hanging around with Charla and her popular friends—
“I get up,
leave her there
before this person
disguised as my best friend
has the chance
to leave me
first.” (ARC 103)

—and Truly announces that she is expecting twins. Lilac feels even more in the way in their small house.
"I've only stooped to worry

whether there will be

any room

left

for me." (41)

And then Lilac discovers a small check sent by her father Simon, and an idea grows that she can convince him to come from England to America to see her and maybe take her with him to live. She cannot understand why her aunt and especially her uncle have kept the check(s) a secret and do not want him to be in contact with her. She writes to Simon and then begins emailing with him and even sends him money to come to the Philadelphia Zoo, the site of her one picture with both her parents, on the day of her school trip.

Some changes are good. There is Eli, her math partner who becomes a friend and who introduces her to Jewish traditions, a connection to her father’s side of the family.

Meanwhile, Lilac joins the Trailblazers Club and with the members, especially Hyacinth, and her new love of nature, she finds a place where she fits.
“By the time we’re done with our ice cream,
the sun’s going down,
it’s colder outside,
and I’m covered in blue [paint from marking trees],
but I feel warm inside.
I can still feel the scattered sun
shining through the woods. (ARC 101)

And through her new friends, Lilac learns that most families are complicated.

“it isn’t just about reclaiming what’s been abandoned.
It’s also about
creating something new.” (250)

This is a new verse novel, with some poems creatively and meaningfully shaped, that will speak to many readers on multiple levels.

[Christiana Doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began Lilac and the Switchback on a flight home, and devoured the first two thirds within just a few days. Lilac has always gotten along well with her aunt, who she has lived with since the death of her mother. But when she finds a letter from her out-of-country dad in the mail it begins to drive a wedge between them. When her aunt’s pregnancy puts her on mostly bed rest the friction only increases as Lilac reaches out for answers and a possible visit.

I regularly appreciate Cordelia Jensen’s verse novels for their image systems and heart and as someone who experienced several sides of complicated pregnancy (born from an HG plagued pregnancy, watched my mother go through Hyperemesis Gravidarum, then experienced HG in my pregnancies). The thread of a child struggling as their provider cycles through hospitalization and intense at home care needs really connected with me. I loved the growing friendships and multidimensional characters throughout. A really great read.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This free verse coming of age story of a girl named Lilac sings with hope and love. The main character navigates the changes of junior high, shifting friendships, self-discovery, and what it means to be a family. A heartfelt and thoughtful trip through adolescence for middle grade readers. Beautifully told with an honest voice. Highly recommended.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am behind on my reviews. But when I sat down to review this one, I struggled to remember if I even finished it (I did, I am compulsive about finishing books). That to me, says something about how I felt about this book. It's slightly forgettable.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this novel in verse! Family-fitting in - truly belonging-all the feels! This would be perfect for a book group in class where these topics could be discussed! Having it in verse allows access to more students!

[Mary]

12.6.2024
sounds cry-ugly depressing ↠ automatically in my TBR

[Jennifer Halbur · Rating 5 out of 5]

An a absolutely remarkable book! Lilac feels like an extra bc she lives with her aunt and uncle after her mom died and her dad left. Her journey is so inspiring.

[Naomi Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written novel in verse, full of heart and hope. Lilac is such a wonderful, relatable heroine! Highly recommended.

[Laura Sibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This middle grade novel-in-verse offers an authentic portrait of a girl trying to learn where -- and to whom -- she belongs amid changing family and friend dynamics.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important story that will pull at your heartstrings! Belonging, family dynamics and purpose are all themes that permeate this book. Highly recommend for upper middle grade readers!

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this NIV abt Lilac having to live w her aunt (who’s having twins) and family, making new friends, and wondering where her dad is. #hope #trust

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle grade novel-in-verse is for any kid who has ever felt unwanted, uncomfortable, or unsure about where they fit in. Lilac has lived with her aunt, uncle, and cousin ever since her mom died. She already feels like an “extra “ member of the family that doesn’t have enough money or space. Then she finds out that her aunt is pregnant with twins, due soon after she turns thirteen. How could they possibly want her around when they will have two more kids in an already crowded house? As she struggles to process her feelings, Lilacs drifts apart from her best friend.
But in a weird twist of fate, she finds a check sent from her estranged father. Maybe he is the family she’s been looking for…
I enjoyed Lilac’s story and I think kids will too.

[Carey Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel in verse was a great read! The characters are authentic and genuine! Navigating middle school friendships, finding your place with family, and navigating your own path forward are universal issues that make this one relatable for all young readers!