#109 Anthropology of an American Girl by HIlary Thayer Hamann

I saw this book on web site somewhere and added to my list of tbr, and picked it up next time I was at the bookstore. Because I am horrible and recapping and never know quite how much to give away on a recap, I am copying the synopsis part off of http://www.bn.com/.


Hamann’s first novel follows Eveline Auerbach from her high school years in East Hampton, New York, in the 1970s through her early adulthood in the moneyed, high-pressured Manhattan of the 1980s.

Centering on Evie’s fragile relationship with her family and her thwarted love affair with Harrison Rourke, a professional boxer, the novel is both a love story and an exploration of the difficulty of finding one’s place in the world. As Evie surrenders to the dazzling emotional highs of love and the crippling loneliness of heartbreak, she strives to reconcile her identity with the constraints that all relationships—whether those familial or romantic, uplifting to the spirit or quietly detrimental—inherently place on us. Though she stumbles and strains against social conventions, Evie remains a strong yet sensitive observer of the world around her, often finding beauty and meaning in unexpected places.

There are parts of even this synopsis I have to disagree, but it serves as a good basis for what the book is about.

First of all let’s start with Evie's love, Harrison Rourke, she doesn't even find out he's a boxer until much later, she meets him through her friend who is in the school play. He is somewhat of a teacher figure for the play. Their love is very powerful and all consuming to the point of pretty much ruining them both.
As for how they call her strong, I would not have said that at all. After losing her love, she shacks up with one of Harrison's friends, because it is easy. Yes that is real life but I would not have called the character strong at all.

I liked that Evie had basically a good relationship with her parents, but it annoyed me that she never seemed to realize it. She complained about them, but seemed to have no valid complaint. I felt a lot of things were somewhat vague, such as Harrison's profession, until it becomes a plot point. Because of that some things seemed to come out of left field.

Again though even though I may seem to be criticizing it, I really did like the book. I would recommend this.