Jennifer Egan. Picador, 1995. ISBN: 978-0307387523
Plot Summary: Pheobe O'Conner lives in San Fransisco with her mother. It is 1978 and eight years earlier, her sister Faith died while travelling in Europe with her boyfriend, Wolf. Phoebe and the rest of her family have never really recovered from Faith's death. Phoebe graduates from high school and decides to follow her sisters footsteps to Europe to uncover the secret of her life and her death. She meets up with Wolfe and learns far more than she intended about her sister, her sisters, death, life, and her place in the world. She discovers that the world can be far darker and more filled with freedom than she knew.
Critical Evaluation: The character of Phoebe will grab the hearts of readers. Egan does such a good job of imparting Phoebes longing to know her sister and find her place, and her intense loneliness that the story is irresistible. The life situations that Phoebe confronts and the relationships portrayed in the book are powerful, sad, and draw on the readers emotions. The reader will feel empathy as Phoebe tries to figure out where she fits with the ghost of her sister hanging over her head.
Reader's Annotation: 8 Years after the death of her sister, Phoebe goes to Europe alone to retrace her sisters steps and figure out the mystery behind her death.
Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Interest Level: 13-18
About the Author: Jennifer Egan has written several novels and books of short stories. She has won several awards such as the National Book Award.
Curriculum Ties: None
Challenge Issues: There may be several: drug use, sexual content. In defense, familiarize with the content of the book. Research awards won by the author and read reviews in The New York Times Book Review, Horn Books, and teen reviews on amazon.com.
Selection Process: A personal favorite read.
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