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NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • What happens to a girl’s sense of joy and belonging—to her belief in herself—as she becomes a woman? This unforgettable portrait of coming-of-age offers subtle yet powerful reflections on class, parenthood, addiction, lust, and the irrepressible power of dreams.
A VOGUE AND REAL SIMPLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
“There is a girl, and her name is Sam.” So begins Allegra Goodman’s moving and wise new novel.
Sam is seven years old and living in Beverly, Massachusetts. She adores her father, though he isn’t around much. Her mother struggles to make ends meet, and never fails to remind Sam that if she studies hard and acts responsibly, adulthood will be easier—more secure and comfortable. But comfort and security are of little interest to Sam. She doesn’t fit in at school, where the other girls have the right shade of blue jeans and don’t question the rules. She doesn’t care about jeans or rules. All she wants to climb. Hanging from the highest limbs of the tallest trees, scaling the side of a building, Sam feels free.
As a teenager, Sam begins to doubt herself. She yearns to be noticed, even as she wants to disappear. When her climbing coach takes an interest in her, his attention is more complicated than she anticipated. She resents her father’s erratic behavior, but she grieves after he’s gone. And she resists her mother’s attempts to plan for her future, even as that future draws closer.
The simplicity of this tender, emotionally honest novel is what makes it so powerful. Sam by Allegra Goodman will break your heart, but will also leave you full of hope.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
January 3, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593612743
- File size: 238872 KB
- Duration: 08:17:38
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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September 26, 2022
A competitive rock climber comes of age at the turn of the 21st century in the bracing latest from Goodman (The Chalk Artist). Sam lives with her financially struggling mom, Courtney, and younger half-brother, Noah, somewhere in New England. She craves the time and attention of her dad, Mitchell, an unreliable traveling performer (juggling, poems on demand, harmonica) who struggles with an unspecified drug addiction. At seven, Sam discovers climbing and devotes herself to the sport, though her natural skill often crumbles under pressure. In high school, Sam is annoyed by Courtney’s constant pressure to go to college, and has to deal with Noah’s rage issues. Meanwhile, an attraction to her climbing coach, Declan, becomes a secret sexual relationship. She quits climbing when the dalliance with Declan implodes, then shuns Mitchell after he returns and claims to be back for good. As high school winds down, Sam faces a tragedy and waffles over whether to go to college or get a job to help Courtney. Sam’s mostly quotidian travails gain heft through Goodman’s perceptiveness, specificity regarding Sam’s emotions, and arresting turns of phrase (“When she heaves herself over the top, she is a castaway collapsing on dry land. Battered, broken, saved”). It’s impressive how much emotional power is packed into this relatively contained story. Agent: Julie Barer, Book Group. -
Rebecca Lowman passionately narrates the compelling story of Sam--a 7-year-old hopeful girl with a loving but absent dad with addictions; a single, overbearing mother who yearns for a better life for Sam; and a younger brother with behavioral issues. Sam discovers a love of rock climbing, and this becomes a metaphor for how she lives her life as we follow her from age 7 to age 19. Lowman excels at giving Sam a maturing voice as she develops from an exuberant child into a sullen teen and then a determined young adult. Lowman hits every nuance of family drama and personal growth. Listeners will revel in Sam's journey. L.M.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine -
June 10, 2024
Seven-year-old Sam adores her absentee father and loves to climb. Climbing makes her feel free in a world where her mother pressures her to study hard and plan for her future. She is constantly reminded that because she is poor, she does not fit in with her schoolmates. But when she is noticed by her older coach, the attention does not feel right, and Sam is thrust into an uncomfortable and frightening world. Sam is further destabilized as her affectionate but unreliable father's actions become more erratic. Goodman (The Chalk Artist) has written a heartbreaking yet uplifting novel about a young girl struggling to balance familial responsibilities while finding her way in the world. Rebecca Lowman sensitively embodies Sam as she grows from a naive child into a jaded and struggling teen. Lowman's careful tone perfectly matches Goodman's words, which start simply and grow with Sam as she matures. VERDICT Goodman's affecting character development makes this a heartrending portrait of adolescence, studded with moments of joy and hope for the future. Recently selected for Jenna Bush Hager's book club, this is a must-add to any collection.--Elyssa Everling
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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