Other editions of book The Importance of Wings

In 1980s New York, eighth-grader Roxanne misses her mother and struggles with her Israeli-American identity and her father's long hours.Roxanne (Ravit) Ben-Ari is an Israeli immigrant girl looking to fit in. An evangelist for TV reruns like Wonder Woman, The Brady Bunch, and Little House on the Prairie. Roxanne is desperate to emulate all-American TV girls.But things change when Liat moves in nearby, and Liat's self-confidence enables Roxanne to embrace her own unique identity.

An Israeli immigrant's journey to become a "real" American.With their mother caring for relatives in Israel and their father driving a cab all hours of the day, Roxanne and her sister, Gayle, spend a lot of time watching television reruns of Little House on the Prairie, The Brady Bunch, and Wonder Woman—perfect examples of perfect Americans. Roxanne is desperate to be like them.When Liat, a fellow Israeli, moves into the "Cursed House" next door, things begin to change and Roxanne realizes that maybe real life isn’t like TV—maybe it’s even better. The novel is set on Staten Island, New York, in the early 1980’s.

An Israeli immigrant's journey to become a "real" American.With their mother caring for relatives in Israel and their father driving a cab all hours of the day, Roxanne and her sister, Gayle, spend a lot of time watching television reruns of Little House on the Prairie, The Brady Bunch, and Wonder Woman—perfect examples of perfect Americans. Roxanne is desperate to be like them.When Liat, a fellow Israeli, moves into the "Cursed House" next door, things begin to change and Roxanne realizes that maybe real life isn’t like TV—maybe it’s even better. The novel is set on Staten Island, New York, in the early 1980’s.