Set in rural Montana in the early 1990s, emily m. danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a powerful and widely acclaimed YA coming-of-age novel in the tradition of the classic Annie on My Mind.
Cameron Post feels a mix of guilt and relief when her parents die in a car accident. Their deaths mean they will never learn the truth she eventually comes to—that she's gay. Orphaned, Cameron comes to live with her old-fashioned grandmother and ultraconservative aunt Ruth. There she falls in love with her best friend, a beautiful cowgirl. When she’s eventually outed, her aunt sends her to God’s Promise, a religious conversion camp that is supposed to “cure” her homosexuality. At the camp, Cameron comes face to face with the cost of denying her true identity.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and provocative literary debut that was a finalist for the YALSA Morris Award and was named to numerous “best” lists.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
*Starred Review* It begins with a preadolescent kiss between protagonist Cameron and her friend, Irene. The very next day Cameron’s parents die in an automobile accident, and the young girl is left riddled with guilt, feeling her forbidden kiss was somehow responsible for the accident. This is an old convention of GLBT literature, but freshly handled here and given sophisticated thematic weight. As Cameron grows into her teenage years, she recognizes that she is a lesbian. After several emotional misadventures, she meets and falls in love with the beautiful Coley, who appears to be bisexual. Both girls attend the same fundamentalist church, and when Cameron’s conservative Aunt Ruth discovers the affair, she remands Cameron to God’s Promise, a church camp that promises to “cure” young people of their homosexuality. Such “religious conversion therapy” is rooted in reality, and Cam’s experiences at the camp are at the heart of this ambitious literary novel, a multidimensional coming-of-age reminiscent of Aidan Chambers’ equally ambitious This Is All (2006). There is nothing superficial or simplistic here, and Danforth carefully and deliberately fleshes out Cam’s character and those of her family and friends. Even the eastern Montana setting is vividly realized and provides a wonderfully apposite background for the story of Cam’s miseducation and the challenges her stint in the church camp pose to her development as a mature teenager finding friendship and a plausible future. Grades 9-12. --Michael Cart
Review
“Rich with detail and emotion, a sophisticated read for teens and adults alike.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
“[An] ambitious literary novel, a multidimensional coming-of-age.” (Booklist (starred review) )
“The story is riveting, beautiful, and full of the kind of detail that brings to life a place (rural Montana), a time (the early 1990s), and a questioning teenage girl.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )
“This finely crafted, sophisticated coming-of-age debut novel is multilayered, finessing such issues as loss, first love, and friendship. An excellent read for both teens and adults.” (School Library Journal (starred review) )
“Cameron is a memorable heroine with an unforgettable and important story to tell, and she does so with wit, emotion, and depth. (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )
“If Holden Caulfield had been a gay girl from Montana, this is the story he might have told—it’s funny, heartbreaking, and beautifully rendered. Emily Danforth remembers exactly what it’s like to be a teenager, and she has written a new classic.” (Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of PREP and AMERICAN WIFE )
“A beautifully told story that is at once engaging and thoughtful. THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST is an important book—one that can change lives. ” (Jacqueline Woodson, award-winning author of AFTER TUPAC AND D FOSTER and HUSH )
“This novel is a joy—one of the best and most honest portraits of a young lesbian I’ve read in years. Cameron Post is a bright, brash, funny main character who leaps off the page and into your heart! This is a story that keeps you reading way into the night—an absorbing, suspenseful, and important book.” (Nancy Garden, author of ANNIE ON MY MIND )
“Danforth’s narrative of a bruised young woman finding her feet in a complicated world is a tremendous achievement: strikingly unsentimental, and full of characters who feel entirely rounded and real. A story of love, desire, pain, loss—and, above all, of survival. An inspiring read.” (Sarah Waters, author of THE LITTLE STRANGER )
“[An] ambitious literary novel, a multidimensional coming-of-age.” (Booklist (starred review) )
“The story is riveting, beautiful, and full of the kind of detail that brings to life a place (rural Montana), a time (the early 1990s), and a questioning teenage girl.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )
“This finely crafted, sophisticated coming-of-age debut novel is multilayered, finessing such issues as loss, first love, and friendship. An excellent read for both teens and adults.” (School Library Journal (starred review) )
“Cameron is a memorable heroine with an unforgettable and important story to tell, and she does so with wit, emotion, and depth. (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )
“If Holden Caulfield had been a gay girl from Montana, this is the story he might have told—it’s funny, heartbreaking, and beautifully rendered. Emily Danforth remembers exactly what it’s like to be a teenager, and she has written a new classic.” (Curtis Sittenfeld, bestselling author of PREP and AMERICAN WIFE )
“A beautifully told story that is at once engaging and thoughtful. THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST is an important book—one that can change lives. ” (Jacqueline Woodson, award-winning author of AFTER TUPAC AND D FOSTER and HUSH )
“This novel is a joy—one of the best and most honest portraits of a young lesbian I’ve read in years. Cameron Post is a bright, brash, funny main character who leaps off the page and into your heart! This is a story that keeps you reading way into the night—an absorbing, suspenseful, and important book.” (Nancy Garden, author of ANNIE ON MY MIND )
“Danforth’s narrative of a bruised young woman finding her feet in a complicated world is a tremendous achievement: strikingly unsentimental, and full of characters who feel entirely rounded and real. A story of love, desire, pain, loss—and, above all, of survival. An inspiring read.” (Sarah Waters, author of THE LITTLE STRANGER )
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By SGH
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have never been compelled to write a review before, but: this novel was such a gift, a treasure and an experience for me that I need to. For a few days, I had the pleasure of ingesting this novel, growing to know and care for its main character, Cameron, whose life and complexity captured my heart. After spending nearly 500 pages together, I think of Cameron as someone I know, who struggles through the challenges of growing up, coming out, and developing the values that will guide her through her own unique life journey. I love her: she's beautiful and authentic and has the power to make a difference in a young reader's life, while reminding us adult readers of just how complicated and challenging adolescence is. "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" is truly a work of literary art, and I hope there's more of Cameron's story to come.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
worth consuming slowly, taking in each word and phrase as it comes because every one of them has been carefully considered
April 3, 2012
By H. Frederick
Format:Hardcover
As young adult readers, it's somewhat rare for us to run into a book that's more than 400 pages long, and when we do, I feel like those books fall into one of three categories. There are those lengthy YA books that are so engrossing and quick paced that you just gobble them up without ever noticing the length (see Grave Mercy), there are those that you feel could have had 100+ pages cut and have been better for it (see Partials), and then, there are those that are worth consuming slowly, taking in each word and phrase as it comes because every one of them has been carefully considered and placed to enrich the story. The Miseducation of Cameron Post is this third kind of book. I'll admit I was intimidated by its girth, but I found every moment that I spent reading filling me up in a way that hearty wheat bread can fill your belly--with nourishment and substance.
Now, I'll admit, a lot of my attachment to The Miseducation of Cameron Post arose from the fact that this book, more than any other I have ever read, exemplifies my childhood. If you want to know what it was like growing up in small town Wyoming in the 90s, not too far from Billings, Montana--it's not all that different from growing up in small town Miles City, not too far from Billings, Montana. Cameron and I went to the same mall to do school shopping, we stop at the same airport, and more importantly, our towns share the same businesses, people, and atmosphere. I cannot tell you how badly I was craving Taco Johns every time it was mentioned, and I am so sad for all of you that don't live in the mountain states and know its glory (you know, as glorious as a Mexican fast food chain can be). When Emily M. Danforth wrote of thunderheads gathering on the horizon, I could smell it, and feel the hot, dry summer air. We played with firecrackers, bought gas at Conoco, bought crafts at Ben Franklin's, we had kids wearing those blue FFA jackets at school; to this day I miss Schwan's single-serve pizzas and push pops. I further bonded with Cameron because we were both swimmers who hung out largely with boys, and had lost parents at twelve (thankfully, in my case, not both). Despite what I felt was a very personal attachment to this book, I don't think you need to have one to enjoy it. Danforth creates such a strong image of Miles City, and God's Promise, that any reader will feel immersed.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a coming of age story in the truest sense of the term. We follow Cameron from the time that she is twelve, until she is seventeen (or near enough). I loved seeing Cameron come into her own as a person, realize who she was, and fumble with her sense of self in the same way that every teen experiences. For Cameron, much of this is focused on the fact that she is a lesbian, but it didn't have to be--this story would have been just as compelling if she'd been strait. Certainly, this book will speak to any teens who feel trapped in a situation, their family, their town, and need to find themselves to decide how best to manage their future. I am not meaning to diminish the importance of The Miseducation of Cameron Post as a work of LGBT literature, merely stating that I think this is a work that could influence anyone, the LGBT aspect is not the only way readers will relate to this book.
Cameron Post herself is one of my new literary best friends. I love this girl. She's a bit of a klepto, which I never understood, but other than that we bonded hard core. I love that to her, her sexuality isn't a choice, a political statement, or a counter-culture movement--it's just who she is. So many adults in her life reacted to her as if she were acting out, when in reality she was just being a kid, and being who she was. The sad fact that those she loved most had no idea how to love those parts of Cameron they didn't agree with or understand broke my heart.
I think it is easy for those many people who live in very liberal areas to look unkindly and with harsh judgement at evangelical Christians such as much of Cameron's town. When you only experience these people through the bubble that is media, and not through personal experience, it becomes so easy to write them off as horrible people because of their judgements on homosexuals. This has always been a tough position for me. Much of my hometown, and many people that I love dearly share these views. Their adamant belief that homosexuality equates to damnation doesn't change the fact that they are often wonderful, caring, heartfelt people. What Cameron's family does to her, they do because they are trying to help, and because they love her. I can respect that, and so can Cameron. That doesn't make it right, but I appreciate so much that Emily M. Danforth did strive to show these people as caring, and helpless to understand because of their beliefs. There was no outspoken rebellion against Christianity in general, only an acknowledgement that the methods used in this particular case were flawed, and doomed from the start--you can't cure something that isn't a sickness. Because of this treatment, I hope that those who avoid books with religious themes are not put off by The Misedcuation of Cameron Post. It is not preachy either for or against the nature/nurture arguments of homosexuality, it is the story of a girl finding and accepting herself in a time and place where so many obstacles stand in her way.
Now, I'll admit, a lot of my attachment to The Miseducation of Cameron Post arose from the fact that this book, more than any other I have ever read, exemplifies my childhood. If you want to know what it was like growing up in small town Wyoming in the 90s, not too far from Billings, Montana--it's not all that different from growing up in small town Miles City, not too far from Billings, Montana. Cameron and I went to the same mall to do school shopping, we stop at the same airport, and more importantly, our towns share the same businesses, people, and atmosphere. I cannot tell you how badly I was craving Taco Johns every time it was mentioned, and I am so sad for all of you that don't live in the mountain states and know its glory (you know, as glorious as a Mexican fast food chain can be). When Emily M. Danforth wrote of thunderheads gathering on the horizon, I could smell it, and feel the hot, dry summer air. We played with firecrackers, bought gas at Conoco, bought crafts at Ben Franklin's, we had kids wearing those blue FFA jackets at school; to this day I miss Schwan's single-serve pizzas and push pops. I further bonded with Cameron because we were both swimmers who hung out largely with boys, and had lost parents at twelve (thankfully, in my case, not both). Despite what I felt was a very personal attachment to this book, I don't think you need to have one to enjoy it. Danforth creates such a strong image of Miles City, and God's Promise, that any reader will feel immersed.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a coming of age story in the truest sense of the term. We follow Cameron from the time that she is twelve, until she is seventeen (or near enough). I loved seeing Cameron come into her own as a person, realize who she was, and fumble with her sense of self in the same way that every teen experiences. For Cameron, much of this is focused on the fact that she is a lesbian, but it didn't have to be--this story would have been just as compelling if she'd been strait. Certainly, this book will speak to any teens who feel trapped in a situation, their family, their town, and need to find themselves to decide how best to manage their future. I am not meaning to diminish the importance of The Miseducation of Cameron Post as a work of LGBT literature, merely stating that I think this is a work that could influence anyone, the LGBT aspect is not the only way readers will relate to this book.
Cameron Post herself is one of my new literary best friends. I love this girl. She's a bit of a klepto, which I never understood, but other than that we bonded hard core. I love that to her, her sexuality isn't a choice, a political statement, or a counter-culture movement--it's just who she is. So many adults in her life reacted to her as if she were acting out, when in reality she was just being a kid, and being who she was. The sad fact that those she loved most had no idea how to love those parts of Cameron they didn't agree with or understand broke my heart.
I think it is easy for those many people who live in very liberal areas to look unkindly and with harsh judgement at evangelical Christians such as much of Cameron's town. When you only experience these people through the bubble that is media, and not through personal experience, it becomes so easy to write them off as horrible people because of their judgements on homosexuals. This has always been a tough position for me. Much of my hometown, and many people that I love dearly share these views. Their adamant belief that homosexuality equates to damnation doesn't change the fact that they are often wonderful, caring, heartfelt people. What Cameron's family does to her, they do because they are trying to help, and because they love her. I can respect that, and so can Cameron. That doesn't make it right, but I appreciate so much that Emily M. Danforth did strive to show these people as caring, and helpless to understand because of their beliefs. There was no outspoken rebellion against Christianity in general, only an acknowledgement that the methods used in this particular case were flawed, and doomed from the start--you can't cure something that isn't a sickness. Because of this treatment, I hope that those who avoid books with religious themes are not put off by The Misedcuation of Cameron Post. It is not preachy either for or against the nature/nurture arguments of homosexuality, it is the story of a girl finding and accepting herself in a time and place where so many obstacles stand in her way.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Carrie
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
emily m. danforth has written a beautiful, moving coming-of-age story, and I recognize some of my teenage self in Cameron Post, though I was never as wry or as smart about the world of grown-ups. What I really love about this book is how real all the characters feel, not just Cam but the girls she has crushes on, her best friend Jamie, and even her Aunt Ruth, who truly believes that sending Cameron to be de-gayed at Promise is in Cameron's best interests. This book invites you into a world that feels like a real place populated by real people. Cameron is actually one of my favorite people--funny and smart (with a healthy dose of smartass-ness) and sometimes a little lost, like most of us, though she does a good job figuring things out as she goes. Something else I really love about this book is how well danforth writes about awkward adolescent relationship and making out, regardless of gender--she gets it so right that some of the scenes are excruciating to read--sometimes I caught myself holding my breath, I was hoping so hard that things would go the way Cam wanted them to. This is an awesome, entertaining book, and only the first of what I hope are many to come from danforth
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good first novel
I liked Emily Danforth's very descriptive writing from a teenager's perspective. The story was very believable and real. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Vivian M. Brooke
5.0 out of 5 stars
The effect of 'acting gay is a sin'.
It's a YA book only because it's about a girl growing up. Beautiful writing, just stunning. I was nervous about violent homophobia reading through the book, but that isn't what... Read more
Published 20 days ago by Beth Mitchell
3.0 out of 5 stars
not exciting reading
it didnt really grab me, but I did finish reading the book. it ended kind of suddenly. made me wonder what else happened
Published 1 month ago by Jean Beirley
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good a telling of coming of age while queer as it gets
The early parts of this book really ring true, both the relationships and the details of Miles City. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mark J Dulcey
5.0 out of 5 stars
A really enjoyable read
This was an interesting and well written book about a girl who recognizes her sexual orientation and how she navigates the world and the people around her. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lily P
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful
It is hard to find YA LGBT fiction that has substance. However, Emily Danforth created a beautiful and intriguing story that had me hooked within the first few pages. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Allison
5.0 out of 5 stars
NEED MORE!
I wanted to fill this review with smart-a memes of Katy Perry kissing Justin Bieber and play off the "I Kissed A Girl" song, but as I tried to do this and write the review in a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jennifer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
I enjoyed this book and the way it was written. I was a little disappointed in the way it ended but regardless it was great read!
Published 1 month ago by miss_T
3.0 out of 5 stars
Felt unfinished
I liked a lot of things about this book, but the ending felt like it needed another hundred pages or so and some resolution to the storyline. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Holly Blaine
4.0 out of 5 stars
poor cameron!
I loved this book, but I want more. Emily, PLEASE, put in a sequel already! You already have it written!
Published 1 month ago by Kacey
More About the Author
emily m. danforth was born and raised in Miles City, Montana, which just so happens to be the town where the first half of her first novel--The Miseducation of Cameron Post--takes place. emily has an MFA in Fiction from the University of Montana and a Ph.D in English-Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She teaches creative writing and literature courses at Rhode Island College in Providence and is also co-editor of The Cupboard, a quarterly prose chapbook.
You might want to visit her here: www.emdanforth.com
You might want to visit her here: www.emdanforth.com
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