The Girl in the Middle

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In this poignant memoir, Anais Granofsky reflects on her childhood spent between two starkly contrasting worlds. Best known for her role as Lucy Hernandez on Degrassi Junior High, Anais's true story remains largely untold. Her father, Stanley, hailed from a wealthy, prominent Jewish family in Toronto, while her mother, Jean, was one of 15 children from a poor Black Methodist family in Ohio, descended from freed slaves. When Anais's parents met at Antioch College in the 1970s, they did not foresee the estrangement from the Granofsky family or Stanley's transformation into Fakeer, a spiritual seeker who left for an ashram in India. As a child, Anais and her mother faced poverty, sharing a mattress in social housing, while her grandparents lived just 20 minutes away in a mansion. Weekends brought a stark contrast, as she donned expensive clothes and enjoyed lavish meals with her affluent grandparents. Navigating her dual identities, Anais learned to code-switch between her Jewish life on weekends and her Black life during the week. At 12, she was cast in Degrassi, marking a pivotal moment in her life. This memoir explores the complexities of family dynamics, generational trauma, love, and prejudice, offering profound insights into healing and acceptance.