The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kepit

The Finkels, a close-knit but complicated Jewish family, pose mysteries for the two middle sisters.

The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kepit. Dial, 2021, 280 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-14

FIASCCO, or Finkel Investigative Agency Solving Consequential Crimes Only is Lara Finkel’s latest big project. She expects her sister Caroline to play along as usual. With good reason: she and Caroline are only 15 months apart in age, and they share something else: the autism spectrum. It’s less noticeable with Lara, the highly focused, obsessive type, but more so with Caroline. She doesn’t talk, but uses a tablet to voice the words she types on it.

Lara is all set to be her sister’s guide and sage as the latter moves into middle school, but to her surprise, Caroline wants to navigate this new experience for herself. And soon she’s made a friend, though Lara isn’t at all sure it’s the right kind of friend. What are those two up to? And why is big-brother Noah pulling off applying for college? And why is Dad acting so weird and even getting into arguments with Ima (Mom)? Her parents never fight! It’s starting to look like Lara’s most consequential mysteries are right under her nose, and she’d better get to investigating.

At first glance this looks like one of those light-hearted junior-detective-agency novels, where the heroes solve a mystery involving disappearing cats or suspicious neighbors. It’s actually about living together in families (and how impossible it is to keep secrets!) The story is told from both sisters’ perspectives–a good thing, because Lara is so opinionated we need occasional breaks from her. But even Caroline, the nice one, reveals weaknesses of her own. They both dig themselves into untenable postures that cry out for repentance and forgiveness, conveniently falling between Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Lara even comes to her realization in synagogue, in what appears to be a religious experience (with no mention of God). It sounds heavy, but the author maintains a good balance of humor and gravity. In spite of their “issues,” this is a strong, loving family that can weather the storms.

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.25

Read more about our ratings here.

Discussion questions

• “Question for further investigation” posed by Lara: “Why do people change?” Do you know anyone who’s changed lately? Any guesses as to the reason?
• From the rabbi during Yom Kippur service: “We need to show others why we deserve forgiveness, and that’s not something that can be done in a few words or a card . . . It requires us to think long and hard about the people we want to be.” Does anyone deserve forgiveness? Can they work to deserve forgiveness? Why or why not?

Also at Redeemed Reader

• Review: Lara’s family appears to belong to the Reform branch of Judaism, or the liberal arm. For a look at traditional Orthodox Jews, see the Hereville graphic novels How Mirka Got Her Sword and How Mirka Met a Meteorite.
• Reviews: Family relationships are at the heart of these four middle-grade novels. And for difficult family members, the grandfather in The Runaways takes the cake.

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