Marika Marches for Equality - (Smithsonian Historical Fiction) by Salima Alikhan (Paperback)

About the Book

In 1970 thirteen-year-old Marika dreams of going to Harvard to study economics, but her parents both believe that a woman's place is in the home; Marika does not understand why they are so attached to "traditional values," especially since they defied convention when they were married at a time when interracial marriages were illegal in many states--so Marika defies her parents and joins her Black friend, Beth, and her parents and attends the Women's Strike for Equality without permission.

Book Synopsis

Middle-schooler Marika is caught between two worlds. She and her friend Beth are passionate about women's rights, and they plan to join a national rally to support the cause. But it's 1970, and the equal rights movement has a lot of resistance--including from Marika's parents. Marika wishes they were as supportive of equal rights as Beth's parents, but Marika's parents seem content with how things are. As the day of the Women's Strike for Equality approaches, will Marika convince her parents to support her beliefs?