The Book Nook

Family and Friendships   “The Boston Girl” by Anita Diamante will appeal to those who enjoy coming-of-age stories or novels containing wit and realism.  Using 20th century America as a backdrop, the book opens with an elderly woman being interviewed by her granddaughter, who asks “How did you become the woman you are today?”.  From there the story is framed in a chronological memoir starting in the woman’s teens, relating her story as she carves out her own place in life. In 1900 Addie Baum is the first member of her family to be born in America.  Her parents and older sisters emigrated earlier and are living in a poor Boston neighborhood.  There’s enough money for rent and food, but little else. The girls’ mother bitterly longs for the old country, blaming America for the fact that none of her daughters have yet married and had children.  She claims her girls have been seduced by popular culture, immoral fashions and careers for women.  They don’t agree and are happy about having more options. Addie is smart and dreams of getting a formal education, which conflicts with her parents’ wishes.  Allowed to attend high school for only a short time, she loves every minute there and at the library where she finishes her schoolwork.  These places become her refuge for learning and escaping the many arguments at home. When she meets a group of academically-minded girls, she’s thrilled to be accepted and encouraged in her studies.  Within this group she’ll make life-long friends, many who will be an important part of her life. When she’s expected to contribute to the family’s income, she finds there are few job prospects for an uneducated girl in a poor neighborhood.  A cleverly-created opportunity leads Addie to discover night classes after she’s told she must learn how to type.  The idea that she can continue learning appeals to her, and she elects to take another class.  She soon feels totally out of her depth, but has a patient teach who boosts her confidence and provides a valuable life lesson. She moves up in her job, but finds it increasingly dissatisfying.  Summoning the courage to leave her comfort zone, she finds more enjoyable work although there are challenges, something she’ll continue to face as the rest of her story unfolds. Although many people are instrumental in helping Addie, it’s her own curiosity and resolve that propel her through life.  This is the story of an ordinary person we want to succeed as she moves from one accomplishment to another. The story is told from the central character’s point of view and a has conversational tone filled with hopefulness.  The characters bring a richness to the book, although more details in this area would have been welcomed.  Addie herself is funny and determined, armed with a life-long optimism that didn’t always ring true.  I liked the occasional use of 2nd person narrative when Addie talks directly to her granddaughter.  Many authors use this with limited success, but here it never felt forced. There’s an emphasis on family and friendship and their influence on Addie’s life.  Some feel the author dealt with topical issues too gently, and those seeking scathing social commentary should look elsewhere.  On the plus side, Diamante’s books champion women and, like her other novels, show sincere belief in her characters.  Addie has a complex relationship with her mother and, given their personalities and history, a teary reconciliation would have felt false. There’s good historical research here and the author is able to walk us through the changing decades with some sense of realism.  One example is the settlement house, which is similar to what we’d now call a community center.  Here, immigrants could find many valuable services such as food, English lessons, day-care and vocational classes.  Many scenes are described in a way to gives readers a feel for that era. “The Boston Girl” gives us a taste of the challenges many American women faced.  It lacks the power of as Diamante’s best-known book, “The Red Tent”, but is an endearing historical novel.  There’s humor, warmth, and above all, a good tale.  For those who wished they’d listened as older relatives described growing up, here’s a chance to learn more about those times.