by John Knowles - undifferentiated
First published 1984
Gene Forrester returns to Devon School fifteen years after graduation, walking through the campus where his adolescence unfolded during World War II. He remembers his complicated friendship with Phineas, his charismatic roommate who excelled at athletics while Gene focused on academics. Their bond deepens through shared adventures, but Gene harbors secret jealousy over Phineas's natural abilities and popularity. When Gene causes Phineas to fall from a tree during what should have been innocent play, his friend suffers a shattered leg that ends his athletic dreams. The accident forces both boys to confront difficult truths about loyalty, competition, and the capacity for betrayal within even the closest relationships. As the war rages beyond the school's boundaries, Gene must live with the consequences of his actions and discover what friendship truly means.
Genres: drama, american-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, adolescence, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Devon School
Period: World War II
196 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam