Best of
Coming-Of-Age

1971

Paper Moon


Joe David Brown - 1971
    Set in the darkest days of the Great Depression, this is the timeless story of an 11-year-old orphan’s rollicking journey through the Deep South with a con man who just might be her father. Brimming with humor, pathos, and an irresistible narrative energy, this is American storytelling at its finest. Paper Moon is tough, vibrant, and ripe for rediscovery.

Harold and Maude


Colin Higgins - 1971
    He fakes suicides to shock his self-obsessed mother, drives a customized Jaguar hearse, and attends funerals of complete strangers. Seventy-nine-year-old Maude Chardin, on the other hand, adores life. She liberates trees from city sidewalks and transplants them to the forest, paints smiles on the faces of church statues, and “borrows” cars to remind their owners that life is fleeting—here today, gone tomorrow! A chance meeting between the two turns into a madcap, whirlwind romance, and Harold learns that life is worth living. Harold and Maude started as Colin Higgins’ master’s thesis at UCLA Film School, and the script was purchased by Paramount. The film, directed by Hal Ashby, was released in 1971 and it bombed. But soon this quirky, dark comedy began being shown on college campuses and at midnight-movie theaters, and it gained a loyal cult following. This novelization was written by Higgins and published shortly after the film’s release but has been out of print for more than 30 years. Even fans who have seen the movie dozens of times will find this companion valuable, as it gives fresh elements to watch for and answers many of the film’s unresolved questions.

Lives of Girls and Women


Alice Munro - 1971
    When she begins spending more time in town, she is surrounded by women -- her mother, an agnostic, opinionated woman who sells encyclopedias to local farmers; her mother's boarder, the lusty Fern Dogherty; and her best friend, Naomi, with whom she shares the frustrations and unbridled glee of adolescence.Through these unwitting mentors and in her own encounters with sex, birth, and death, Del explores the dark and bright sides of womanhood. All along she remains a wise, witty observer and recorder of truths in small-town life. The result is a powerful, moving, and humorous demonstration of Alice Munro's unparalleled awareness of the lives of girls and women.

Summer of '42


Herman Raucher - 1971
    Summer of '42 is the story of Hermie and the lovely Dorothy, of Hermie's frantic efforts to become a man, and of his glorious and heartbreaking initiation into sex.

His Own Where


June Jordan - 1971
    His Own Where promises to be one."—New York Times Book Review (1971)Nominated for a National Book Award in 1971, His Own Where is the story of Buddy, a fifteen-year-old boy whose world is spinning out of control. He meets Angela, whose angry parents accuse her of being "wild." When life falls apart for Buddy and his father, and when Angela is attacked at home, they take action to create their own way of staying alive in Brooklyn. In the process, the two find refuge in one another and learn that love is real and necessary. His Own Where was one of The New York Times' Most Outstanding Books and was on the American Library Association's list of Best Books in 1971.June Jordan was a poet, essayist, journalist, dramatist, activist, and educator known for challenging oppression through her inspirational words and actions. She was the founder of Poetry for the People at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught for many years. The author of over twenty books, her poetry is collected in Directed by Desire; her selected essays in Some of Us Did Not Die. Sapphire is the author of American Dreams, Black Wings & Blind Angels, and Push, which has been made into a motion picture called Precious.

That Was Then, This Is Now


S.E. Hinton - 1971
    Now things are changing. Bryon's growing up, spending a lot of time with girls, and thinking seriously about who he wants to be. Mark still just lives for the thrill of the moment. The two are growing apart - until Bryon makes a shocking discovery about Mark. Then Bryon faces a terrible decision - one that will change both of their lives forever.

A Joyful Noise


Janet L. Gillespie - 1971
    There was grandmother Baba, erect and small, bellowing messages from porch to boathouse via a megaphone; Mother and siblings, at work on Father's clerical vocation ("Guess what God's done now!"); and Father, gentle and high-spirited, bird-walk guide, organizer of expeditions, and an enthusiast like the others, of bracing seascapes. There is a delicate, compassionate portrait of Uncle Tink, a mental retardate in his twenties (but only ""two or three inside""), which encompasses a natural, affectionate and genial hilarity at some of his pecadillos. Warm but not the least cloying.

The golden evenings of summer


Will Stanton - 1971
    . . the aroma of the backyard lilac bush . . . the inviting appeal of the vacant lot next door . . . the riches of a bottle-cap collection . . . the temptation of the cookie jar . . . the summers that never ended.Capture a moment and journey back with us to the good old days . . . those very, very good old days.

By the Highway Home


Mary Stolz - 1971
    With the news of her brother’s death in Vietnam, everyone at home becomes silent and moody. It seems to Catty that she is the only who want to remember Beau and his place in their lives.But as family tension increases, Catty suspects that her parents are hiding some other misfortune. Finally, the children learn that their father has lost his job and cannot find work. The Reeds are forced to sell their house and live with relatives in Vermont.Uncle Henry’s inn for old people becomes their new home and the family pitches in, caring for the land and the boarders. For Catty, the move is a providential act, bringing her in contact with unspoiled nature and, in a special way, closer to Beau. But her older sister, Ginny, considers the move a social comedown, which has made her family accept charity. Ginny’s attitude creates further friction between the two sisters, and for awhile it seems that nothing will ever be the same.In this fine novel Mary Stolz describes an intelligent young girl’s adjustment to her world, and her struggle to accept a new way of life.

All and More


Joan Aiken - 1971
    A bind-up edition of Joan Aiken's first two collections of short stories: "All You've Ever Wanted and Other Stories" and "More Than You Bargained For and Other Stories."