Little Miss Strange: A Novel [Paperback]

Joanna Rose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 1998

1997 Pacific Northwest Bookseller's Association Prize for First Novel. Sarajean is the child of love children. She lives with Jimmy Henry, a Vietnam vet she accepts as her father. Her mother, whoever she was, disappeared long ago. Sarajean scams her way through childhood, surviving on intuition, seeing her world clearly without judging it. From carelessly discarded clues, she knits together the identity she's always longed for. "An extraordinarily powerful first novel. Sarajean is impossible to forget."--Kirkus Reviews, pointered; "A wondrous, uncanny book . . . Rose has written a story so assured and accomplished that it seems the work of a seasoned novelist at the peak of her talent."--Portland Oregonian; "LITTLE MISS STRANGE is the closest thing to a perfect book that I have read in years."--Bellingham Herald.

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

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Set during the high-hippie era of the 1970s, Little Miss Strange is a story about a girl growing up to be a woman, but it's about growing up in a period of American life when the adults don't seem to play any of the traditional roles of caretakers or parents. Sarajean is the daughter of hippies--which is to say, of uncertain parentage--and must negotiate the strangeness of life in the rootless world into which she was born. She lives with a guy who may be her father and comes of age in the commune world of drugs, poverty, and the dropout-ethic that marks the times. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA. This coming-of-age story is set in Denver in the late '60s and '70s. Sarajean Henry tells of her life with Jimmy Henry, a Vietnam veteran and former junkie, with whom she was left as a toddler, and of her search for the mother she has never known. Sarajean recounts her everyday experiences, from 1969 through 1977, with a variety of acquaintances who become her surrogate family. Along the way she collects numerous memories and mementos. Cigarettes and marijuana become a part of her normal existence, along with funky clothes and far more freedom than that of an average preteen. Drugs and free love are part of the daily lives of most of the adults around her. Simple sentences, ample dialogue, and short paragraphs combine to reveal a likable, resilient, independent, and gifted girl as she discovers the true meaning of family and her ability to shape her own life.?Dottie Kraft, formerly at Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1997 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: 384 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (June 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684847418
• ISBN-13: 978-0684847412
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #828,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You won't forget this book!, February 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Miss Strange: A Novel (Hardcover)

This was the first book I read for fun after I finished college, and I was hooked! Following Sarajean from kindergarten through adolescence is a trip you'll be glad you took. It is suprising, interesting and even a little disturbing to grow with Sarajean. The characters that surround her are just as interesting and help the reader experience, not just read. Don't miss this novel!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but boring!, July 21, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Miss Strange: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book just goes on and on and on with the life of Sarajean. I just couldn't get interested in all the things and people that floated in and out of Sarajean's life. The book was readable, but there are a lot better books out there

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story of a young girl's coming of age., September 12, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Miss Strange: A Novel (Hardcover)

Joanna Rose's novel, "Little Miss Strange" is a complex and tightly woven tale of a young girl's rather unorthodox entry into the world of adults. It takes the main character with breathless speed from the age of six to a jsomewhat jaded fifteen.

The trip passes through some uncomfortable territory, touching on child sexual and mental abuse issues gently but firmly. The reader may know more than they want to about a child's view of such things by the end of the book. Still, it is easily worth the price of purchase. I recommend it highly.