I just finished a marvelous new book! In In Zanesville, by Jo Ann Beard, the protagonist and narrator is a 14-year-old girl living in Zaneville, Illinois in the 1970s. The author made the fascinating choice not to explicitly name her heroine, but you do get little clues throughout about what her name may be. Books about young people for grown-ups are a rare and welcome occurrence, and this one is particularly special. The nameless narrator and her best friend share the kind of bond that we all grow up thinking is impermeable, then something happens. There friendship easily survives accidental house fires, other embarrassing babysitting incidents, equally embarrassing parents, secret kittens and fashion faux pas, but when a cheerleader new to town invites the girls to a slumber party, not realizing that they are not cool enough for the popular crowd, a rift begins to form. I loved this hilarious, tender authentic book about being 14 in Zanesville. If you enjoyed I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson (another one of my favorites), definitely check out In Zanesville as well.
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