The author (not pictured) was a stay-at-home mom with two toddlers while also caregiving for her mom. Ray Kachatorian/Getty Images 2025-02-20T10:27:02Z ...

The God Margaret confides in is nondenominational; as a preteen, she has agency and choice. This 53-year-old story is landing in theaters squarely in the middle of today’s culture wars.

But first, she tapped her burgundy nails on the cover of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” resting an index finger gently on Margaret’s face. “That’s such a good one,” she said.