All the Finest Girls: A Novel [Paperback]

Alexandra Styron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2002

Now in paperback, the acclaimed first novel that movingly charts the intersection of two lives and two worlds--the story of a fierce and untamable young girl who must find a sense of belonging in an unexpected place.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As Styron's mournful but potent debut novel opens, Adelaide Abraham has just arrived on the fictional Caribbean island of St. Clair. Addy, as she's called, is attending the funeral of her childhood nanny, Lou Louise Alfred and she's staying not in a hotel, but with Lou's family. For, as becomes clear, Lou was Addy's family back when Addy was a disturbed and unruly child and her parents' marriage was breaking up. In the course of the three days Addy spends on St. Clair, she learns something about the resentful family Lou left behind. Bitterest is Derek, Lou's younger son, who felt his mother abandoned him when she left to take a job caring for a wealthy white girl. Most disturbed is Lou's father, who thinks Addy is a white property owner who used to accuse him of stealing. Interleaved with Addy's encounters on St. Clair are her memories of the years Lou cared for her. These scenes are vivid and incisive, making it painfully clear that Addy's parents artists and intellectuals were too self-involved to manage Addy. In contrast to the direct narration of these sections, the story of Lou's family is told thirdhand, through Addy's reports of her conversations with Lou's sister and sons. While these are carefully rendered, learning Lou's life this way is, as Addy says, like "racing through time on a bullet train, monumental events melting down to smears of color." Styron (daughter of writers William and Rose Styron) beautifully juxtaposes Addy's past and the present on St. Claire, dealing deftly with a series of ironies. Although some readers may find Addy slow to catch on, Styron's gift is to make the reader feel real grief for her characters and real relief for Addy when she begins to make a peace with herself and her parents.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When Adelaide Kane Abraham travels to the Caribbean island of St. Clair to attend the funeral of her beloved nanny, the realities of grief brush up against the political conditions that sent Louise Alfred to Connecticut to care for her. Adelaide's first lesson occurs immediately, when she discovers that Louise's kin are less than thrilled to meet her. Indeed, some folks including the children Lou abandoned when she took the job with the Abrahams are downright hostile. As she begins to probe, Addie discovers that she barely knew Louise; shamefully, she had never even considered the conditions that sent her "black mother" hurtling north. As the truth about Louise's life unfolds, Addie is forced to deconstruct her ideas about race and class. The result is a resonant, wise novel, told simply and nonrhetorically. Although readers will close the book uncertain about the ways in which Addie will use her newfound sensitivity, one cannot help but be optimistic, sure that she will somehow change herself, if not the world. A terrific debut by a stunning writer who is also the daughter of novelist William Styron, this novel is highly recommended for all libraries.
- Eleanor J. Bader, Brooklyn, New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316120863
• ISBN-13: 978-0316120869
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring first effort!, May 30, 2001

By 

Laura Stout (North Dartmouth, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All the Finest Girls : A Novel (Hardcover)

Despite her literary pedigree (her parents are William and Rose Styron), or maybe because of it, I wasn't expecting Alexandra Styron's first novel to be anything special. Boy was I WRONG! All the Finest Girls is a touching story of misplaced motherhood, dislocated identity, and fractured childhood. Addy Abraham is a troubled young girl, neglected by her actress mother and upwardly-mobile father. Frustrated and alone, her only emotional expression seems to be horrific temper-tantrums which, of course, do not help ingratiate her into her parents lives. Addy is a lost girl in need of love. Enter Louise, the nanny from St. Clair. Starved for affection and attention, Addy is immediately drawn to Louise and they forge a mother-daughter relationship. The novel opens with Louise's death and Addy's subsequent visit to St. Clair to attend the funeral. The story of Addy's childhood unfolds gradually, via flashbacks, as her adult self is forced to confront the ugly truth about her relationship with her "black mother." All the Finest Girls is a heart-rending and very personal exploration of race relations and individual identity told with aplomb and grace. I look forward to Alexandra's next novel.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A strong but haunting debut, July 10, 2001

By 

karolinatx (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All the Finest Girls : A Novel (Hardcover)

I enjoyed reading All the Finest Girls, though I walked away with that slighly clammy feeling I get when reading about people who are treading the fine line of sanity. Addy Abraham is a sick little girl, driven to hallucinations and fits by the neglect and selfishness of her alcoholic father and simpering debutant of a mother. Her grip on sanity is strengthened by the arrival of Lou, her Caribbean nanny. Now that Lou has died, Addy as an adult travels to St. Clair, still unwell, to face the ghosts of her past. Ms. Styron has written the book by alternating chapters of the adult and child Addy, which works well and is easy to follow.

All the Finest Girls is a disheartening book, the story of a sad and lonely little girl whose parents have forgotten the cardinal rule of parenthood -- the parents are no longer the focus of attention. I did not find Addy to be a particularly likeable character, though; she managed to somewhat annoy and bore me at the same time. It was the supporting cast that realy shined in the novel, and I look forward to hearing more from Alexandra Styron. Also recommended along these lines is Bee Season by Myla Goldberg -- if you liked this one, you should give it a try.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT a book that you would'nt want to put down, January 24, 2004

By 

xhottstuffx "~kkeepz it rreal~" (Long Island, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All the Finest Girls: A Novel (Paperback)

Alexandra Stryton's first book is about a young woman who is trying to discover who she is, and discovers it in the strangest place.
Addy Abraham was an angry child, until her new black new nanny comes to live in her house. Louise was the only one Addy loved, her mom being an actress who was always away.
Now, Addy lived in New york City and has a job at a museam restroring paintings. When her mom calls her with the news of Louise's death, she goes to the funeral in the Carribean.
But it turns out to be more that just a funeral. Addy confronts her past and comes back to the states a mentally healthy person.
Like I said, this is NOT a book that you wont wanna put down. Stryton's language is so powerful and descriptive that you will still remember quotes from the book long after you have read it.
(I dont think that this is just an adult book. Teenagers that like to read adult books will love this book too)