Miss American Pie A Diary Author:Margaret Sartor Margaret Sartor, a fiercely determined girl from rural Louisiana, who is equal parts “Holden Caulfield and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” (Atlanta Journal Constitution), presents a poignant portrait of American life during the 1970s. — Crafted from diaries, notebooks, and letters, this deeply personal yet universally appealing story move... more »s with ease between the seemingly trivial concerns of hairstyles and boys to the more profound questions of faith and identity. By turns funny and poignant, heartbreaking and profound, Miss American Pie tackles all of the decade’s issues—desegregation, drugs, the sexual revolution, the rise of feminism, and the spread of charismatic evangelical Christianity—with humor, frankness, and unexpected insight.« less
If you have forgotten what it's like to be a teenager you should not miss this book. It's based on the true diary entries of Margaret "Maggie" Sartor during her tumultuous teens. It starts with simple day-by-day 2-3 sentence thoughts as a 12 yr. old and ends with her going off to college as an 18 yr. old high school graduate. With its deeply personal, painstaking, honest, and sometimes laugh-out-loud entries, it is the best diary-type book that I have read. It made me appreciate that I will never have to repeat adolescence again. Read this book!!
This was a good book. It is an actual journal of the author written in the seventies. I graduated from high school and college in the seventies so I could relate to many of the references made in the journal. I think today's girls could also relate, though, because the themes in the journals are the same struggles that today's teens go through.
It starts when Margaret is in the seventh grade and goes through her senior year. At first the entries are brief and some are quite funny. Later they get more poignant.
Margaret is boy crazy, bored, rebellious, and is trying to figure out what she believes. In the seventies, we had many issues involving desegregation, drugs, sex -- it was the era of the sexual revolution, feminism, and the big mega-churches were founded and grew in that decade. I laughed at many of the entries, especially when she would write of some profound event and not elaborate and the next entry would be something very trivial.
For example: November 8 -- Nixon was elected president. November 9 -- Everyone says me and Vernon would make a good couple. (Nixon being elected president was exciting and had worldwide ramifications but her and Vernon being a good couple didn't last more than a week.) Another example: August 8 -- President Nixon resigned; made appointment to get my hair cut.
I love that entry. It is such a teen statement. MISS AMERICAN PIE is realistic and fun to read. Plus, it makes you want to start a journal, too.
Cute fun book about growing up in the 70's . A pretty normal kid's story , a refreshing change from all the dysfuntual autobiogrphies. It makes you smile.
