When Evie's older sister Cilla gets pregnant, their Catholic parents ship her off to great-aunt Maureen until she can have the baby and give her up for adoption. Evie wants Cilla to come home afterward instead of going to St. Augustine's boarding school, but Cilla doesn't respond to any of Evie's letters, and their parents won't tell Evie anything.

Meanwhile, Evie begins to realize that her friendship with new girl June might be something more, but she's afraid of what everyone will think. Finally, she tells her friends Maggie and Katie, and they help her get to St. Augustine's - where Evie gets a terrible shock, and the truth, finally, from her parents.

Afterward, Evie finds the strength to question authority, be her authentic self, and honor her sister publicly.

The Morgan family is coded white; June is dark-skinned, and she and her mother are atheist.

See also: How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani; Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Quotes

It was like one of those pictures of a snake eating its own tail. Or that optical illusion with the staircases that never stop going upward. No one ever apologized and the yelling never stopped. (29)

We need to save you from the Land of Blouses and Slacks! We need to return you to the Kingdom of Jeans and T-shirts! (43)

...I caught Mom crying again. I didn't feel bad for her, though. If she's sad that you're not here, she shouldn't have made you feel like you don't belong. (97)

Having June [at our house] made me look at things differently, though....Mom doesn't let me read about zombies, but I hear the resurrection story every single year. It doesn't make sense. (104)

I wish our religion wasn't so mean and judgy. I want to tell everyone the truth. (153)

...when I'm talking to June, I love what I have to say. (161)

What if I want a different God than the one who'll hate me for who I like? (199)

Why don't we thank people as much as we thank God? Maybe it would make the world a better place. (236)

It didn't feel like me saying the words. I felt like someone else, someone proud of who she was.
Someone who wasn't ashamed of what other people thought.
I acted the way I wanted to be. Because maybe then, this bravery will start to feel more natural. (285)

It happened. It'll never be over, but it did happen. (296)

It was the first time I'd asked an honest question and they'd given me an honest answer in a long time. Maybe ever. (305) ( )

This is so sweet and sad and touching but I was not convinced by the voice. Some of the phrasing and word choices felt too adult and writerly. I do know kids are smart and capable of surprising stuff, but I felt that the tone an 11yo would take with her sister would be more relaxed. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the narrative voice, and the focus on sisterly love. It was a very emotional, cathartic read. I would recommend to anyone who likes books about family, or who wants a good cry. ( )

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Great
Recommend: Yes
Reading Level: Middle grades
Twelve year old Evie and her older sister Cilla have grown up in a very strict, Catholic home. When sixteen year old Cilla becomes pregnant her parents decide it is best to send her to live with her great aunt in an isolated area of Massachusetts. They also decide that Cilla will give up the baby and go to a Catholic boarding school after the birth.

Evie has no idea when she will see Cilla again. She has been forbidden from speaking with her sister so she begins to write her letters. This story is told through those letters. Evie tells Cilla about everything that is going on in her life. She shares how she is struggling with her faith and the way her parents have treated her. She tells her about June, a new girl she met at school. June, is an atheist and is causing Evie to question what she was taught to believe. Evie also confides in her things she can’t tell anyone else, like her growing, intense feelings for June. Evie yearns for Cilla’s guidance and pleads with her to respond but she only gets a few very short responses from Cilla.

Eventually, Evie can’t take it anymore and decides that she needs to see Cilla in person. So June, Evie and her two other best friends come up with a plan.

This is an enjoyable middle grade novel that touches on many issues, including LGBTQ. Written entirely in letters, this story carefully unfolds with some unexpected outcomes. Evie is very real and relatable with strong emotions. I did find myself questioning the reaction of the parents to their teen daughter’s pregnancy. It seemed very extreme in this day and age. Overall this book was a quick read that I would recommend it to middle grade students. ( )

Evie's parents are extremely conservative, God fearing people. So when Evie's 16 year old sister, Cilla, gets pregnant, they send her off to a cousin in Virginia to have the baby--thus avoiding the shame and stigma of a daughter giving birth out of wedlock. Twelve year old Evie is not allowed to see her (they live in Massachusetts) so her only recourse is to write letters, which are never answered. She writes about what goes on, reminisces about things that she either loved or hated about her older sister, wishing her big sister was there to give her advice about love.

This is a true coming of age story in that Evie's values change as she matures and ruminates about a God who would ostracize a girl for getting pregnant or who would condemn a girl for liking another girl.

P.S. I Miss You doesn't get sappy. Evie is a real twelve year old, questioning her life, her beliefs, her sexuality, and her parents. It takes strength to stand up for your beliefs and Evie seems to acquire that strength as she grows up. This was a totally enjoyable book...with a few twists to heighten the enjoyment. ( )