false 1083245 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg Joy School, Berg's newest book, young Katie's first experience of intense romantic love--with a much older man--becomes not just a crucible for the lessons of love in its various guises, but a rite of passage.]]> 127389 10 1509454 1997 Joy School total:1322|5:271|4:517|3:439|2:84|1:11| 1322 4919 1705 112 3529 3.62 27848 3914 30157671 1424859 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.73 1189 1997 4 7 false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Thu Aug 14 13:05:52 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 04 12:48:37 -0700 2009 twice more...]]> 71587309 195737 946211 0345423097 9780345423092 7 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1247420587m/946211.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1247420587s/946211.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/946211.Joy_School 3.62 98
Katie, the narrator, has relocated to Missouri with her distant, occasionally abusive father, and she feels very much alone: her much-loved mother is dead; her new school is unaccepting of her; and her only friends fall far short of being ideal companions. When she accidentally falls through the ice while skating, she meets Jimmy. He is handsome, far older than she, and married, but she is entranced. As their relationship unfolds, so too does Katie's awareness of the pain and intensity first love can bring.

Beautifully written in Berg's irresistible voice, Joy School portrays the soaring happiness of real love, the deep despair one can feel when it goes unrequited, and the stubbornness of hope that will not let us let go. Here also is recognition that love can come in many forms and offer many different things. Joy School illuminates, too, how the things that hurt the most can sometimes teach us the lessons that really matter.

About Durable Goods, Elizabeth Berg's first novel, Andre Dubus said, "Elizabeth Berg writes with humor and a big heart about resilience, loneliness, love and hope. And the transcendence that redeems." The same will be said of Joy School, Elizabeth Berg's most luminous novel to date.


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 1997 4 1 false Thu Sep 17 14:21:22 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 17 14:21:22 -0700 2009 Durable Goods, Joy School is nonetheless wrenching and engaging. Katie, now living in Missouri with her father and their housekeeper/nanny, is about to turn 13. She has trouble making friends at her new school for ...more...]]> 41431169 1717549 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 3 0 false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Wed Dec 31 13:13:41 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 31 13:16:38 -0800 2008 audiobook -- an Elizabeth Berg! And I really enjoyed it, so I'm sure this will be equally fun to curl up with (with which to curl. . .oh heck, with which to up curl. . . you know, to...more...]]> 56122205 1957441 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 3 0 false Fri Apr 24 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 14 18:10:36 -0700 2009 Thu May 14 18:26:58 -0700 2009
This is a sweet story about a young girl's first crush on an older guy. Katie has a father who is slightly abusive, her mother is dead and her sister lives in Mexico. She doesn't have any real friends and doesn't really fit into her new environment. Ho...more...]]> 71152517 1202157 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 4 0 false Mon Sep 14 04:57:22 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 05:03:42 -0700 2009 more...]]> 78584616 2967048 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 4 0 false Sat Nov 21 18:38:11 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 18:38:22 -0800 2009 more...]]> 60762151 1587654 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 2 0 false Tue Jun 23 05:37:29 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 23 05:39:00 -0700 2009 more...]]> 30644287 1402123 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 5 0 false Sat Dec 13 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Aug 20 07:09:23 -0700 2008 Sat Dec 13 15:03:24 -0800 2008
These words sum up this story, about a 13-year-old girl, Katie, transplanted to Missouri after her mother’s death, an...more...]]> 18620712 379576 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 3 0 false Tue Mar 25 15:25:45 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 25 15:26:27 -0700 2008 Joy School now finds Katie once again li...more...]]> 4739065 173444 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 4 0 false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Aug 18 12:16:13 -0700 2007 Sat Sep 22 08:49:12 -0700 2007
It actually took me almost the whole book to connect that this was a continuation of "Durable Goods." I kept thinking that the family was so familiar, and even went so far as to thematically link the two books, but didn't fully realize that this was Katie's...more...]]> 48380887 465804 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 2 0 false Thu Mar 05 19:56:18 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 05 19:58:11 -0800 2009 more...]]> 75999818 1421323 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 4 0 false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Oct 28 08:20:37 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 08:23:41 -0700 2009 more...]]> 63822343 875033 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 3 0 false Thu Jul 16 22:27:02 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 16 22:35:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 40948918 872942 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 3 0 false Fri Dec 26 13:22:39 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 26 13:27:13 -0800 2008 more...]]> 43166741 1609471 1083246 1568954883 9781568954882 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180844232m/1083246.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180844232s/1083246.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1083246.Joy_School 3.75 4 Joy School, Berg's newest book, young Katie's first experience of intense romantic love--with a much older man--becomes not just a crucible for the lessons of love in its various guises, but a rite of passage.]]> 1997 3 0 false Fri Sep 25 00:00:00 -0700 1998 Thu Jan 15 14:40:05 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 15 14:40:05 -0800 2009 more...]]> 50115776 2143983 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 3 0 false Tue Mar 11 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Sun Mar 22 18:20:43 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 03:55:37 -0700 2009
Ahh, to be young again and struggling with all of those uncertain feelings! Kate has moved to a new town with her strict and stern Army father after her mother's death. Kate struggles to make new friends in a new place, cope with not being too well liked at first, deal...more...]]> 64262476 643996 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 3 0 false Fri Jul 24 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 20 14:25:55 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 24 12:51:24 -0700 2009 more...]]> 80532485 2919602 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 4 0 false Thu Dec 10 08:24:27 -0800 2009 Thu Dec 10 08:27:00 -0800 2009 50794448 1336909 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 2 0 false Fri Apr 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 29 07:14:06 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 10 14:56:52 -0700 2009 more...]]> 67669639 939834 127389 0099451751 9780099451754 99 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102m/127389.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171934102s/127389.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127389.Joy_School 3.72 1322 1997 3 0 false Fri Aug 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 16 18:36:07 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 16 18:38:00 -0700 2009 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1083245