Girls in America [Hardcover]

Carol Cassidy (Author), Katha Pollitt (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Girls in America could be renamed "Girls, Uninterrupted." In over 200 pages of text, editor Carol Cassidy almost never intrudes her voice into these interviews of 29 girls--teenage mothers, athletes, and beauty pageant queens--talking about what it's like to grow up female in modern America. Listening to girls is almost a crusade for Cassidy, a filmmaker who first turned some of these stories into a TV documentary. In her introduction she notes that most of those she interviewed said no one had ever asked them for their opinions before. "What about listening to our daughters," she asks, "to their flowered stories, their barbed insults, their prickly questions, their swollen sobs?"

We hear a little of each in this book's pages. Andrea, in South Carolina, a pageant contestant who just won "Miss Southern Belle," recalls joyous days "wallerin' in the dirt" as a young, pudgy tomboy. Ivon, whose father was abusive to her mother, cries talking about the harmful relationship she finally left, only to have a baby at age sixteen. Taneshia, who lost her mother to cancer and is estranged from her father, finds comfort in double dutch jump roping. "You do it on your own," she says of her favorite sport. "You just do what you feel, what your body wants to do, what your heart wants to do." These girls both fulfill and explode the stereotypes of their age and roles, and teen readers are sure to find comfort--and maybe even inspiration--in their honest stories. --Maria Dolan

Product Details

• Hardcover: 230 pages
• Publisher: TV Books; 1 edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575000849
• ISBN-13: 978-1575000848
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,387,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight into the secret world of young girls., December 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Girls in America (Hardcover)

Girls in America is a revealing, eyes-wide-open look at the secret world of young girls today. The girls interviewed in this book are direct and open about what's behind their thoughts and actions. They reflect on the messages they get from their parents, peers, and the American culture, then with great inner strength and wisdom, tell us how they cope and prevail. Every girl... each teenage mother, young athlete and beauty contestant ... has something worthwhile to share with us and teach us. This book is powerful, insightful and inspiring!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important book for anyone who has a daughter, March 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Girls in America (Hardcover)

What a great book! I am a mother of two young girls and find it exteremely helpful to understand what teenagers are thinking about. Carol Cassidy's book is a must for anyone who is concerned about what goes on beyond your home and what your daughters needs are. We, mothers, love to give advice--but this is an advice for us from our girls.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended reading for teenage girls., February 7, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Girls in America (Hardcover)

The stories and words of beauty queens, swimmers, cheerleaders and teen moms alike are gathered in an involving collection which will appeal to middle school ages on up. Cassidy traveled across the country gathering the words and stories of American girls ages 14-19: their stories present a diverse cross-section of teen experience.