First published 1999
Joyce Maynard was eighteen when she received an unexpected letter from J.D. Salinger after her cover story appeared in The New York Times Magazine. The reclusive author had read her piece about life in the sixties and reached out to the Yale freshman. What followed changed her life forever as she entered into a relationship with one of America's most mysterious literary figures. For twenty-five years, Maynard kept silent about their time together. She finally decides to tell her story when her own daughter reaches eighteen, the same age Maynard was when Salinger first contacted her. This memoir reveals not only her relationship with the famous author but also her complicated family background and troubled youth. Maynard examines how these formative experiences shaped the woman she became, exploring themes of authenticity and personal growth with the skill of a natural storyteller.
Genres: literary-fiction, coming-of-age, autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, unreliable-narrator
Setting: America, New York Times Magazine
Period: Sixties
345 pages · Paperback · ANCHOR BOOKS