True to Form : A Novel [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Berg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2002

In this warm and engaging novel, "New York Times" bestselling author Elizabeth Berg revisits the heroine she so lovingly brought to life in "Durable Goods" and "Joy School."

It is 1961, and thirteen-year-old Katie is facing a summer full of conflict. First, instead of letting her find her own work for the season, Katie's father has arranged for two less-than-ideal baby-sitting jobs -- one for the rambunctious Wexler boys and another for Mrs. Randolph, a kind but elderly, bed-ridden neighbor. To make matters worse, Katie has been forcibly inducted into the "loser" Girl Scout troop organized by her only friend Cynthia's controlling and clueless mother. A much-anticipated visit to her former home in Texas and ex-best friend Cherylanne proves disappointing. And then comes an act of betrayal that leaves Katie questioning her views on friendship, on her ability not to take those she loves for granted, and, most important, on herself. "One thing to say about you, Katie, is that you are true. You should be proud of it, and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise," Cherylanne insists. But whether or not Katie will ever feel true to herself remains to be seen.

From the writer whose work "The New Yorker" calls "strong" and "timeless," "True to Form" is a delicately told tale of a young girl wise beyond her years, whose growing pains finally awaken her to the clarity of forgiveness and a greater understanding of the complicated world around her. Full of the anguish and the joys of adolescence in a much more innocent time, "True to Form" is sure to make readers remember and reflect on their own moments of discovery and self-definition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In her 10th novel, True to Form, Elizabeth Berg finds her way into the year 1961 and into the head of 13-year-old Katie Nash at the start of her summer vacation. Katie's world is smooth and easy with endless possibilities and sunshine. You almost expect sitcom-style canned laughter when she whines in frustration or stomps up to her room and turns the radio way up, but then almost everything Katie does fits that era's squeaky-clean conventionalities. The younger daughter of a remarried widower, Katie craves popularity, a great summer job, and a direct line to the local DJ to make requests. Newly transplanted from Texas, she settles in with her only friend, Cynthia, who shares her views on status and appearance and boys. Between a regular babysitting gig for a household of little boys and caring for an elderly bedridden woman, her summer is off to a less than auspicious start. Cynthia's mother's plot to start a Girl Scout troop and to camp out for a weekend in their living room doesn't help. Berg's plot doesn't exactly mine new territory, but Katie emerges as a girl who sees the world differently from the rest of her peers. Her poetic perspective on her surroundings and her predicaments should eventually win readers over. The period backdrop feels unformed against this portrait of a young artist-to-be, but Katie imbues it with fresh eyes. --Emily Russin

From Publishers Weekly

Berg is the master of the soft-focus, nonconfrontational women's novel, as evidenced in her 2000 Oprah Book Club selection, Open House. In her latest work, which again features the pubescent narrator first encountered in her debut novel, Durable Goods, she describes a summer in the life of 13-year-old Katie Nash. It is 1961, and Katie's mother has been dead for two years; Katie lives with her dour military father and peppy stepmother in Missouri. Resigned to allowing her strict dad to find her summer jobs, in her free time she gorges herself on junk food with her best friend, Cynthia, and works on her tan. Katie's first-person voice is deliberative and colloquial, and the story told is rarely eventful: the highlights come when Katie first starts working for a kind, needy elderly couple, the Randolphs, and wins a radio contest offering a free plane ticket anywhere in the world. Yet where does Katie choose to fly? Back to Fort Hood, Tex., where she last lived before her mother died and where she can revisit her former best friend, Cherylanne, who is slightly older than Katie and well versed in the ways of boys, clothes and getting married fast. The trip peters out when Katie realizes she really has nothing in common with boy-crazy Cherylanne. Meanwhile, Mr. Randolph secures a scholarship for Katie at the upscale school where he once taught, but even this boon becomes a hurdle when Katie belittles Cynthia to land in the rich girls' good graces. Berg lays nostalgia traps at every turn in her 10th feel-good novel, but her readers for the most part will be happy to fall into them.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Atria; First Edition edition (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074341134X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743411349
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Berg won the NEBA Award for fiction for her body of work, and was a finalist for the ABBY for Talk Before Steep. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, and the New York Times Magazine. She has also taught a writing workshop at Radcliffe College. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True to Form is Ture to Berg-Excellent!, May 31, 2002

By 

Sandra Mitchell "Sandra Mitchell" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: True to Form : A Novel (Hardcover)

In True to Form, we are delightfully reunited with little Katie Nash, the main character from two of Berg's other outstanding novels, Durable Goods & Joy School. Berg does not disappoint as she brings us back into Katie's life, reminding us of what it's like to be a kid again, and the thoughts and feelings that accompany the coming of age process. Through Katie, Berg shows us not only how much insight she has, but also how truly talented her gift is. Her writing is simple, yet powerful and moving. Her words will take you back to the days when life consisted of school, friends, and parents.

In True to Form, Katie Nash is a 13 year-old girl, trying to figure out who she really is and what she stands for.
Dealing with the death of her mother several years prior, Katie has been raised by a very stern father, who
has a difficult time showing emotion. Fortunately, he is now married to Ginger, who is a mother figure &friend to Katie. When Katie's dad announces that she has two jobs for the summer, babysitting the Wexler kids and helping to care for elderly Mrs.Randolph, Katie is less than thrilled. Little does she know how meaningful these experiences will prove to be. Thrown into the mix, Katie discovers what it is that makes a true friend, and the price of popularity.

In one of Berg's most powerful passages, Katie is describing her drawer, where she keeps things that are special to her. "...I have red lipstick that was my mother's, with the mark of her mouth on it. I have a rhinestone button I found outside, feathers from birds, pennies that mean good luck. I have a box of crayons that I never intend to use, I just like to look at them all perfect and read the names of the colors out loud, and I like to smell them deep, like I smell the test papers
that have just come off the mimeograph machine. I have some torn-out hairdos that I would like to get, if my hair will ever grow really long instead of acting paralyzed. Sometimes I think, What if I died and someone looked into my drawer? I wonder what they would understand about me. Probably not so much-for one thing
they would get the crayons wrong. I think, actually, that none of us understands anyone else very well, because we're all too shy to show what matters most. If you ask me, it's a major design flaw. We ought to be able to say, Here, look what I am."-So open up True to Form & learn who Katie Nash is. You might even discover a little bit more about yourself. I know I did.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elizabeth Berg is in true form!, May 26, 2002

By 

Laura Duet (Downers Grove, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: True to Form : A Novel (Hardcover)

Elizabeth Berg is a genius in putting into words the beloved thoughts and feelings I remember from being a kid. She hits the nail on the head on every page. Her main character, Katie Nash, is a delightful young girl who you root for all the way. She is the same character that was in Elizabeth's first novel, Durable Goods, and she was also in Joy School. True to Form is a wonderful novel with many life lessons learned all in a moving, yet lighthearted way. This is a book not to be missed!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HEARTWARMING AND FUNNY, July 12, 2002

By 

LUV TO READ "LORRAINE" (RHODE ISLAND, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True to Form : A Novel (Hardcover)

Elizabeth Berg first introduced us to Katie Nash in her book "Durable Goods" and now in this book we meet up again with Katie who is now 13 yrs. old and her father has married Ginger whom Katie really likes. Ginger is a quieting influence in the family.........Since moving to Missouri because her father was transferred from a military base in Texas, Katie feels lonely once again, missing her best friend, Cherylanne. Katie did go back to Texas to visit once and the two friends keep in touch by letters.....Katie meets a new best friend named Cynthia, but Katie betrays her when she wants to fit in with the "in-crowd" at a new private school she now attends......Katie feels very badly about this and wants more than anything to have Cynthia forgive her.....Katie has learned not to take people she loves for granted because they could be taken from her as her sister was (she ran away to another state) or her mother was (by dying)...Through trial and error, Katie learns to forgive people, even herself........This story is about adolescence in a more innocent time during the 1960's.......I enjoyed it.