3D book image of Rain is Not My Indian Name

Healing by Camera: Rain Is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith


4 Stars

Rain Is Not My Indian Name
by
Cynthia Leitich Smith

Illustrated book cover shows a serious teenage girl holding a camera. Link leads to Goodreads page.

| Description

• Young Adult Contemporary Fiction

It’s been six months since Cassidy Rain Berghoff lost her best friend, and up until now she has succeeded in shutting herself off from the world. But when controversy arises around Aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp in their mostly white midwestern community, Rain decides to face the outside world again, with a new job photographing the campers for her town’s newspaper. But does Rain want to keep a professional distance from her fellow Native teens?

| My Thoughts

I might or might not have read or skimmed the book blurb back when I first came across this novel. Don’t remember. But, because I started it without any knowledge (or remembrance) about the plot, I was able to step in and just take the story as it came.

Thoughtful and Poignant

Granted, the experience required a little patience on my part. I admittedly started the novel with work deadlines and other stuff looming in front of my psyche. And this isn’t a loud read to grab your brain and pull you through the pages at breakneck speed.

Still, as I let this thoughtfully delivered, ultimately poignant story of grief and healing come to me, it became something rather beautiful.

| Content Note

  • no profanity
  • no graphic violence
  • no explicit sexual content

Go to Nadine's Books of Hope and Inspiration

Top Ten Posts of 2025

We’ve had another busy year at Prismatic Prospects! Check out the Top Ten Posts of 2025.

One
When Calls the Heart
(Television Show)

Go to When Call the Heart post

Two
The Significance of Faces on Fiction Book Covers

Go to Faces on Fiction Book Covers post

Three
Romance in Christian Fiction: How Much Heat is Too Much?

Go to Romance in Christian Fiction post

Four
The Canadian West Series
by Janette Oke

Go to Canadian West Series post

Five
Christian Fiction That Doesn’t Mention Christ?

Go to Christian Fiction That Doesn't Mention Christ post

Six
Caleb’s Story
by Patricia MacLachlan

Go to Caleb's Story book review

Seven
The Quilt
by Davis Bunn

Go to The Quilt book review

Eight
Who Brings Forth the Wind
by Lori Wick

Go to Who Brings Forth the Wind book review

Nine
The Inheritance
by Louisa May Alcott

Go to The Inheritance book review

Ten
You Can Ask Your Local Library to Buy Books for You

Go to Ask Library to Buy Books post

Go to Nadine's Books of Hope and Inspiration

3D book image of Malt Shop Milestones beside a malt shop

Malt Shop Milestones by Nadine C. Keels: Young Lives and Love in Postwar America


Postwar Historical Fiction

Malt Shop Milestones

Three-Book Series Collection

5 Stars
“Nadine C. Keels infuses the retro genre of Malt Shop fiction with a long-overdue representation of the well-lived lives of Black Americans…”
~Novels Alive on Vicky’s Victory
Reviewer’s Choice Award for Berta’s Bounceback: “Keels distinctively writes for both teens and adults…”
~Novels Alive
Ari’s Aria is a gentle teenage romance, [a] historical musical moment, and an honest exploration of the race issues facing Black Americans in the late 1940s.”
~Novels Alive

Book cover of Malt Shop Milestones by Nadine C. Keels shows three smiling Black and Latina American young women in a malt shop

Jukeboxes. Chocolate malts. Young lives. First loves.
A classic American period is in full swing in the thriving Black community of West Hill!

Vicky’s Victory

Known as “The Brain of West Hill High,” sixteen-year-old Vicky is preparing for a future career in journalism by writing for the school newspaper. She also dreams of romance, wishing to find a guy who’ll applaud her ambitions. But maybe that’s too much for Vicky to hope for in high school?

Berta’s Bounceback

Although sixteen-year-old Berta is usually upbeat, this year is proving not to be her easiest. Classes at school are getting harder for her, and it appears that her boyfriend might be interested in a new girl. What will it take to lift Berta’s morale back to its normal height?

Ari’s Aria

Still pretty new to the neighborhood, seventeen-year-old Ari wishes to join other girls in West Hill’s annual pageant. Yet, Ari would possibly look out of place as the pageant’s only biracial contestant. She’s also got a growing crush on a comical guy, but what if he only sees her as a pal?

Come along on a journey to memorable milestones—here in this nostalgic nod to the bygone era of “malt shop” books.

Buy the Ebook


Borrow the Ebook


Buy the Paperback


Buy the Large Print Paperback

Themes and Content

Fiction for the young and the young at heart
World War Two memories
Romance: first love
Family life
Ethnic diversity and interracial marriage
Mild romantic kissing
No profanity
No violence beyond playful roughhousing

Goodreads

Add Malt Shop Milestones to your shelf!

Add Malt Shop Milestones to Goodreads

Music, Movies, and More

During or after reading each book in Malt Shop Milestones, you’ll want to listen to the classic jazz, blues, and pop soundtracks to the stories! There’s also significant history behind the films showing at West Hill’s theater, and more about why this historical fiction series came to be. Check out the series page!

Malt Shop Milestones Series

Go to the Malt Shop Milestones series page

Also Available

This series in separate books

Go to Vicky's Victory book page Go to Berta's Bounceback book page Go to Ari's Aria book page

More to Enjoy

After Malt Shop Milestones, be sure to check out
more historical series
where love comes to light!

Go to Historical Fantasy Series page

Book Details

Genres: Young Adult Fiction: 20th Century United States Historical, Girls & Women, Clean & Wholesome Romance, Historical Romance, Own Voices
Ebook ISBN: 9798232017309
Paperback ISBN: 9798231016600
Amazon Ebook ASIN: B0G4F8JGCY
Amazon-only Paperback ISBN: 9798275032857
Large Print Paperback ISBN: 9798233875557
Publisher: Prismatic Prospects
Published Year: 2025
Country: United States

Note: Malt Shop Milestones was written wholly by a human being,
Nadine C. Keels.

Stay Updated

You’re interested in fiction of hope and inspiration? Wonderful! Pick your preferred way to
Stay Updated on Nadine’s Books

Go to Stay Updated page

Meet Nadine C. Keels, author and blogger of hope and inspiration

3D image of Ari's Aria beside a malt shop

Ari’s Aria by Nadine C. Keels: Young Love and Acceptance


Postwar Historical Fiction

Ari’s Aria

Malt Shop Milestones, Book Three
(Best to read series in order)

5 Stars
Ari’s Aria is a gentle teenage romance, [a] historical musical moment, and an honest exploration of the race issues facing Black Americans in the late 1940s.”
~Novels Alive
“A powerful exploration of love, identity, and the struggle to fit in… I enjoyed this so much.”
~Inksip

Book cover of Ari's Aria by Nadine C. Keels shows a smiling Latina American young woman standing in a malt shop

Young lives. First loves. And a classic American period enlivened by jukeboxes and chocolate malts.

Ever since seventeen-year-old Ari moved to the thriving Black community of West Hill this past fall, she’s been well-known around the neighborhood. Granted, that doesn’t mean that she and her family are popular, exactly. Even so, this summer, Ari wishes to join other teenage girls in West Hill’s annual pageant: a pageant where Ari would possibly look out of place as the only biracial contestant.

On a different note, she’s been at a loss about how to handle a growing crush of hers. The guy she cares for is athletic, comical, and well-liked, but he doesn’t seem to see Ari as anything more than one of his pals.

Being the new and different girl in the area hasn’t been easy. So, what might it take for Ari to begin feeling like she’s truly at home with the people of West Hill—and that perhaps it’s good for her to be different?

Come along on a memorable milestone journey—here in this nostalgic nod to the bygone era of “malt shop” books.

Buy the Ebook


Borrow the Ebook


Buy the Paperback

Themes and Content

Fiction for the young and the young at heart
World War Two memories
Romance: first love, interracial
Family life
Ethnic diversity and interracial marriage
Mild romantic kissing
No profanity
 No violence

Goodreads

Add Ari’s Aria to your shelf!

Add Ari's Aria to Goodreads

Soundtrack

During or after reading the book, you’ll want to listen to the blues, pop, and classical songs from this malt shop tale!

Ari’s Aria Soundtrack

Go to Ari's Aria Soundtrack page

Also Available

Malt Shop Milestones
series collection

Go to Malt Shop Milestones collection

More to Enjoy

After Malt Shop Milestones, be sure to check out
more historical series
where love comes to light!

Go to Historical Fantasy Series page

Book Details

Genres: Young Adult Fiction: 20th Century United States Historical, Girls & Women, Clean & Wholesome Romance, Historical Romance, Multicultural & Interracial Romance
Ebook ISBN: 9798232764692
Paperback ISBN: 9798232930769
Amazon Ebook ASIN: B0G2WVFZ1W
Amazon-only Paperback ISBN: 9798274470766
Publisher: Prismatic Prospects
Published Year: 2025
Country: United States

Note: Ari’s Aria was written wholly by a human being,
Nadine C. Keels.

You’re interested in fiction of hope and inspiration? Wonderful! Pick your preferred way to
Stay Updated on Nadine’s Books

Go to Stay Updated page

Meet Nadine C. Keels, author and blogger of hope and inspiration