Neshama is more than a book about a girl who sees ghosts—it’s a lyrical meditation on identity, intergenerational trauma, and the courage to stay true to your soul. In this moving conversation, acclaimed author and educator Marcella Pixley reflects on the origins of her novel-in-verse, the inner world of her spiky protagonist Anna, and why young readers deserve stories that validate complexity and bravery. We dive deep into inherited wounds, ancestral strength, Jewish identity, forgiveness without erasure, and how middle-grade literature can make even the hardest truths palatable. Marcella also reads some of her stunning poetry—and shares what’s next.
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