The Boston Girl: A Novel
New York Times bestseller
An unforgettable novel about a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century, told “with humor and optimism…through the eyes of an irresistible heroine” (People)—from the acclaimed author of The Red Tent.
Anita Diamant’s “vivid, affectionate portrait of American womanhood” (Los Angeles Times), follows the life of one woman, Addie Baum, through a period of dramatic change. Addie is The Boston Girl, the spirited daughter of an immigrant Jewish family, born in 1900 to parents who were unprepared for America and its effect on their three daughters. Growing up in the North End of Boston, then a teeming multicultural neighborhood, Addie’s intelligence and curiosity take her to a world her parents can’t imagine—a world of short skirts, movies, celebrity culture, and new opportunities for women. Addie wants to finish high school and dreams of going to college. She wants a career and to find true love. From the one-room tenement apartment she shared with her parents and two sisters, to the library group for girls she joins at a neighborhood settlement house, to her first, disastrous love affair, to finding the love of her life, eighty-five-year-old Addie recounts her adventures with humor and compassion for the naïve girl she once was.
Written with the same attention to historical detail and emotional resonance that made Diamant’s previous novels bestsellers, The Boston Girl is a moving portrait of one woman’s complicated life in twentieth century America, and a fascinating look at a generation of women finding their places in a changing world. “Diamant brings to life a piece of feminism’s forgotten history” (Good Housekeeping) in this “inspirational…page-turning portrait of immigrant life in the early twentieth century” (Booklist).
An unforgettable novel about a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century, told “with humor and optimism…through the eyes of an irresistible heroine” (People)—from the acclaimed author of The Red Tent.
Anita Diamant’s “vivid, affectionate portrait of American womanhood” (Los Angeles Times), follows the life of one woman, Addie Baum, through a period of dramatic change. Addie is The Boston Girl, the spirited daughter of an immigrant Jewish family, born in 1900 to parents who were unprepared for America and its effect on their three daughters. Growing up in the North End of Boston, then a teeming multicultural neighborhood, Addie’s intelligence and curiosity take her to a world her parents can’t imagine—a world of short skirts, movies, celebrity culture, and new opportunities for women. Addie wants to finish high school and dreams of going to college. She wants a career and to find true love. From the one-room tenement apartment she shared with her parents and two sisters, to the library group for girls she joins at a neighborhood settlement house, to her first, disastrous love affair, to finding the love of her life, eighty-five-year-old Addie recounts her adventures with humor and compassion for the naïve girl she once was.
Written with the same attention to historical detail and emotional resonance that made Diamant’s previous novels bestsellers, The Boston Girl is a moving portrait of one woman’s complicated life in twentieth century America, and a fascinating look at a generation of women finding their places in a changing world. “Diamant brings to life a piece of feminism’s forgotten history” (Good Housekeeping) in this “inspirational…page-turning portrait of immigrant life in the early twentieth century” (Booklist).
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Community Reviews
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The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
320 pages
What’s it about?
The novel begins with a question from a granddaughter to her grandmother; “How did you get to be the woman you are today?” Addie Baum is “The Boston Girl” and at 85 years of age she looks back on her life and tells her granddaughter just how she became the woman she knows. The story begins in 1915 when Addie was fifteen and continues on through her life. Set in Boston this tale takes you through time, with Addie’s unique perspective on history.
What did I think?
This book was kind of like having a big old chocolate milkshake. It just went down easy! The story was fast, the characters charming, and the book was done before I knew it. The author could have delved a little deeper with her characters, as they seemed very simple. I guess then it would not have been such a quick read though…
Should you read it?
This is a great book for a time when you want something quick and easy. It takes very little concentration and it keeps you engaged. It is the perfect book when looking for a light read.
Quote-
“Sometimes friends grow apart. You tell each other everything and you’re sure this is a person you’ll know the rest of your life but then she stops writing or calling, or you realize she’s really not so nice, or she turns into a right winger. Remember your friend Susie?
But sometimes, it doesn’t matter how far apart you live or how little you talk- it’s still there.”
If you like this try-
The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Bittersweet by Beverly-Wittemoore Miranda
The Paris Architect by Charles Balfour
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
320 pages
What’s it about?
The novel begins with a question from a granddaughter to her grandmother; “How did you get to be the woman you are today?” Addie Baum is “The Boston Girl” and at 85 years of age she looks back on her life and tells her granddaughter just how she became the woman she knows. The story begins in 1915 when Addie was fifteen and continues on through her life. Set in Boston this tale takes you through time, with Addie’s unique perspective on history.
What did I think?
This book was kind of like having a big old chocolate milkshake. It just went down easy! The story was fast, the characters charming, and the book was done before I knew it. The author could have delved a little deeper with her characters, as they seemed very simple. I guess then it would not have been such a quick read though…
Should you read it?
This is a great book for a time when you want something quick and easy. It takes very little concentration and it keeps you engaged. It is the perfect book when looking for a light read.
Quote-
“Sometimes friends grow apart. You tell each other everything and you’re sure this is a person you’ll know the rest of your life but then she stops writing or calling, or you realize she’s really not so nice, or she turns into a right winger. Remember your friend Susie?
But sometimes, it doesn’t matter how far apart you live or how little you talk- it’s still there.”
If you like this try-
The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
Bittersweet by Beverly-Wittemoore Miranda
The Paris Architect by Charles Balfour
Diamant's chronicle of the life of a Jewish girl born to immigrant parents growing up in Boston was charming. Written as a sprawling collection of memories shared with her granddaughter, we are invited to witness the best and the worst of Addie's recollections. From the complicated family dynamic created through immigration and child labor, to an eventual happy ending as a grandmother, career woman, we see the joys of friendship, the responsibilities of being in a family, and the challenges of navigating a world in which dangers exist in surprising places. Addie is a plucky heroine and a truthful narrator in this.Her perseveration through many challenges was inspiring. Her love of learning shines through.
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