I Can Make This Promise

Author: Christine Day

Publisher: HeartDrum (2020)

For ages 8-12

All her life, Edie has known that her mom was adopted by a white couple. So, no matter how curious she might be about her Native American heritage, Edie is sure her family doesn’t have any answers.

Until the day when she and her friends discover a box hidden in the attic—a box full of letters signed “Love, Edith,” and photos of a woman who looks just like her.

Suddenly, Edie has a flurry of new questions about this woman who shares her name. Could she belong to the Native family that Edie never knew about? But if her mom and dad have kept this secret from her all her life, how can she trust them to tell her the truth now?

“I Can Make This Promise manages to be both deeply sad and brightly hopeful, and Edie Green will steal readers’ hearts with her empathy and curious spirit—she certainly stole mine.”  

–Hayley Chewins

“Day’s novel brings an accessible, much-needed perspective about the very real consequences of Indigenous children being taken from their families and Native Nations. The absence of one’s tribal community, loss of culture and lack of connection to relatives have ripple effects for generations.”

–Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation)

“A truly enticing, beautifully written story that delivers a historical reveal at just the right time.”

–Betsy Bird