Review: Trajectory
Trajectory
by Cambria Gordon
Scholastic Press, 2024
Category: Young Adult
Reviewer: Rochelle Newman-Carrasco
Buy at Bookshop.org
When we first meet our protagonist, 17-year-old Eleanor, it’s a Friday night in 1942. Her mom expects her daughter to help with the Shabbos meal. This means Eleanor will have to put away her magazine, which is really being used to hide her math book. Young Eleanor has named Eleanor Roosevelt, with whom she shares a name, as her guardian angel and often uses her quotes to summon confidence. At school, the name Nervous Nellie stuck. And, the fact is, Eleanor is often scared. Her family in Poland is a constant worry. And her passion for mathematics is dampened because she believes she was responsible for her father, a brilliant and renowned mathematician, having a stroke. How could she possibly pursue a math career when her father is no longer able to function in this arena? Still, she is accidentally identified as a math genius and recruited to be one of a small number of women whose math skills are needed for wartime efforts. She is soon singled out and assigned to fine-tune a secret weapon to combat US enemies. Did I mention she also falls in love?
When we first meet our protagonist, 17-year-old Eleanor, it’s a Friday night in 1942. Her mom expects her daughter to help with the Shabbos meal. This means Eleanor will have to put away her magazine, which is really being used to hide her math book. Young Eleanor has named Eleanor Roosevelt, with whom she shares a name, as her guardian angel and often uses her quotes to summon confidence. At school, the name Nervous Nellie stuck. And, the fact is, Eleanor is often scared. Her family in Poland is a constant worry. And her passion for mathematics is dampened because she believes she was responsible for her father, a brilliant and renowned mathematician, having a stroke. How could she possibly pursue a math career when her father is no longer able to function in this arena? Still, she is accidentally identified as a math genius and recruited to be one of a small number of women whose math skills are needed for wartime efforts. She is soon singled out and assigned to fine-tune a secret weapon to combat US enemies. Did I mention she also falls in love?
Cambria Gordon has written an inspiring book with a rarely seen strong female character with math smarts. Trajectory is a perfect title, as we witness the trajectory of Eleanor’s evolution from an insecure, secretive teenager to a powerfu,l brilliant woman changing the world. While Gordon is writing fiction, her author’s note confirms that “many of the plot points are from true events.” It’s a powerful page-turner.
Cambria Gordon has done a masterful job of making Jewish identity integral to the story, but in a way that feels organic and beautifully woven in. Not only does it increase the reader’s understanding of the Jewish experience, it also shines a light on Jewish interest in civil rights, particularly in relation to the racism against African Americans. The 1942 time-period sets the stage and the family’s relatives in Poland keep us connected to the atrocities happening overseas, underscoring a feeling of helplessness. This is also a book that addresses trauma, disassociation, mental health, and physical health, all through the lens of Jewish identity and family dynamics. The love story is particularly poignant, as Eleanor falls for a non-Jewish boy, knowing that this will be one more problem to face. A rabbi becomes a source of great comfort to Eleanor, as she struggles with depression, and another Jewish colleague is a refreshing connection to her roots. Trajectory is filled with high stakes and high suspense which makes it a perfect book for non-Jewish readers, as they will be swept up in Eleanor’s journey from Philadelphia to California to Hawaii – from Nervous Nellie to a war-hero who happens to be Jewish and female. The world of Trajectory is very diverse and cultural depictions are as dimensional and authentic as the depiction of Jews. A fun character trait is Eleanor’s use of Jewish rituals or ideas in non-Jewish contexts, like touching something as if it’s a mezuzah, for example. A real delight.
Cambria Gordon has done a masterful job of making Jewish identity integral to the story, but in a way that feels organic and beautifully woven in. Not only does it increase the reader’s understanding of the Jewish experience, it also shines a light on Jewish interest in civil rights, particularly in relation to the racism against African Americans. The 1942 time-period sets the stage and the family’s relatives in Poland keep us connected to the atrocities happening overseas, underscoring a feeling of helplessness. This is also a book that addresses trauma, disassociation, mental health, and physical health, all through the lens of Jewish identity and family dynamics. The love story is particularly poignant, as Eleanor falls for a non-Jewish boy, knowing that this will be one more problem to face. A rabbi becomes a source of great comfort to Eleanor, as she struggles with depression, and another Jewish colleague is a refreshing connection to her roots. Trajectory is filled with high stakes and high suspense which makes it a perfect book for non-Jewish readers, as they will be swept up in Eleanor’s journey from Philadelphia to California to Hawaii – from Nervous Nellie to a war-hero who happens to be Jewish and female. The world of Trajectory is very diverse and cultural depictions are as dimensional and authentic as the depiction of Jews. A fun character trait is Eleanor’s use of Jewish rituals or ideas in non-Jewish contexts, like touching something as if it’s a mezuzah, for example. A real delight.
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