The Importance of Wings — Robin Friedman

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.