Coming-of-age stories have been with us since the dawn of time. They are the tales of the end of adolescence and the entrance into adulthood. As October ends and November, aka National Writing Month, begins, these coming-of-age stories may be an inspiration to the developing writers of SXU, encouraging them to tell their own stories.
“Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver. This story is a modern retelling of “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens. Demon was born to a teenage mother and demonstrates a remarkable skill of surviving in a world full of uncaring adults. This book follows Demon’s journey navigating the foster care system, child labor, school, triumph, heartbreak, and his everlasting dream to one day see the ocean.I recommend everyone read this book because it is from the voice of an underdog character who remains an underdog, but ultimately finds happiness in the few companions who remain by his side.
“The Tea Girl from Hummingbird Lane” by Lisa See. Li-yan and her family aligned their lives around the season and harvesting tea. When Li-yan has a baby out of wedlock, she wraps her daughter in a blanket with a tea cake hidden in the swaddling and abandons her in the nearest city. Several years later, Haley grows up on Hummingbird Lane, longing to know the mother who left her with a tea cake as the key to her mysterious past.
I love this book because every page felt like magic at my fingertips. It is a heart wrenching novel that I believe everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.
“Lonely Castle in the Mirror” by Mizuki Tsujimura. In Tokyo, seven students are hiding in their darkened bedrooms, unable to face their family and friends until the moment they discover the mirrors in their bedrooms shining. At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives into a wondrous castle straight out of a Grimm’s fairy-tale. As time passes, only those brave enough to share their stories will be saved. As they struggle to abide by the rules of the game, a moving story unfolds of seven characters, trapped in a cycle of misunderstanding and loneliness, who are ultimately set free by the power of friendship, empathy, and sacrifice.
I highly encourage you to read this book if you are a fan of time travel, magical portals, and discussions around mental health.
“These Violent Delights” by Micah Nemerever. Opposites attract as insecure college student Paul is drawn like a moth to a flame when he meets his fellow classmate, Julian. The two of them share the same intellectual intelligence, but their relationship is not openly welcomed in 1970’s America. However, as their relationship develops, their inner demons begin to twist it into codependency; they know they are bad for each other, but believe that nobody else will love them.
“The Life She Was Given” by Ellen Marie Wiseman. In 1931, Lilly Blackwood was sold to the circus. More than two decades later, nineteen year old Julia Blackwood inherits her parents’ estate after their passing. Despite her parents’ death, Julia is haunted by the questions they left unanswered, and she is determined to solve the mystery of who the mystery girl is in all of her father’s photographs.
This book is perfect for fans of “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen. It provides a commentary on the heavy themes of animal and child abuse. It is a book that will stay with you long after you finish it.
“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara. “A Little Life” is a story of how childhood trauma can follow us into adulthood .It is a painful read, but an important one, for no matter how hard things get, there is always a reason to wake up in the morning and greet the new day.
“The End of Loneliness” by Benedict Wells. Three siblings’ lives are interrupted after their parents’ death in a car accident on Christmas evening. The novel follows as the siblings grow distant from each other and question the childhood memories they have, which become harder to remember with every new passing day.
“I Will Greet the Sun Again” by Khashayar J. Khabushani. This book follows K as he struggles with his feelings as a child of Iranian immigrants and growing up poor in Los Angeles. His life gets more complicated as K realizes he is starting to have feelings for other young boys and has no one to share these complicated feelings with as his parents grow ever more distant from each other, and his family begins to break apart.
I recommend this book if you are a fan of “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseni. As similar to the Kite Runner’s protagonist, K finds it hard to live up to his father’s expectations around manhood.