First published 2005
At thirteen, the unnamed narrator learns that love comes with boundaries she never expected. Adults dismiss her feelings as childish. They tell her she's too young to understand what love means. The girl finds herself caught between the intensity of her emotions and a world that refuses to take them seriously. No one believes a thirteen-year-old can truly love someone. She faces the harsh reality that her age disqualifies her from being taken seriously in matters of the heart. The story explores the gap between what she feels inside and what others allow her to express. She must navigate the confusing territory of adolescence where her emotions feel real and urgent, but society insists they don't count yet. The girl struggles with the loneliness of having feelings that others won't validate or acknowledge as legitimate.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, adolescence
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-century
Audio CD · Soundings Ltd