History Lesson for Girls - by Aurelie Sheehan (Paperback)

About the Book

Reminiscent of Jeffrey Eugenides "The Virgin Suicides," this luminous novel, set against the backdrop of the often hilariously tacky and disturbingly reckless 1970s, is at once an emotional inquest into and an elegy for a friendship that means everything.

Book Synopsis

In her follow-up to the critically acclaimed novel The Anxiety of Everyday Objects, Aurelie Sheehan presents a moving coming-of-age story set in the disturbingly reckless and often hilariously tacky 1970s. In 1975, Alison Glass, age thirteen, moves to Connecticut with her bohemian parents and her horse, Jazz. Shy, observant, and in a back brace for scoliosis, Alison finds strength in an unlikely friendship with Kate Hamilton, the charismatic but troubled daughter of an egomaniacal New Age guru and his substance-loving wife. Seeking refuge from the chaos in their lives, the girls escape into the world of their horses. Rich in humor and heartbreak, History Lesson for Girls is an elegy to a friendship that meant everything.

Review Quotes

Poignant . . . Sheehan reminds her readers that heartbreak is a requisite part of growing up. (People)

SheehanÆs writing is often bullÆs-eye perfect. (Entertainment Weekly)

This wistful, gentle novel has something surprisingly harsh to say about coming of age in a culture of self-indulgence and spiritual foolishness. (Los Angeles Times Book Review)

Subtle and moving. (O, The Oprah Magazine, summer fiction pick)

About the Author

Aurelie Sheehan is an assistant professor of fiction at the University of Arizona and the author of the critically acclaimed short story collection Jack Kerouac Is Pregnant. She's worked in a variety of jobs, some suspiciously secretarial, and has received a Pushcart Prize, a Carmargo Fellowship, and the Jack Kerouac Literary Award.