The story of two siblings growing up in Miami Beach during World War II is the neon backdrop for the telling of this coming of age story. The main character, Hilary, is a young girl about to enter puberty, searching for advice about her impending "womanhood." The hilarious adventures Hilary and her brother, Freddie, get themselves into is semi-Judi Blume-ish; however, this is not to say this book is derivative in any way. The preamble to the book, "The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time," is attributed to Wm. B. Yeats, and is very telling of the book's outcome. That this book was also a nominee for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction should convince everyone that it is a required reading. E.W.Mayerson is one of my favorite authors.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.