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On Borrowed Wings
Adele Pietra has heard her mother say that her destiny is carved in the same brilliantly hued granite her father and brother cleave from the Stony Creek mine: she is to marry a quarryman. But when Adele's brother, Charles, dies in a mining accident, Adele sees the chance to change her life. Enrolling at Yale as Charles, Adele assumes his identity -- and gender -- as a way to leave behind her mother's expectations and the limitations of her provincial Connecticut town.
To her own surprise, hair chopped and chest bound, Adele falls in naturally with a lively crew of undergraduates: the Jewish Harry Persky with his slick Manhattan know-how, the quiet and mysterious legacy student Phineas, and the lanky, charismatic Wick. And in many ways, Adele faces her freshman year at Yale as would any undergraduate boy: she dreads invasive PE examinations and looks forward to dances, experiments with cigarettes and reads the classics. Through her work with a questionable eugenics professor and her friendship with a local Italian family, Adele confronts her class and ethnicity as never before, all the while fearing that both her crush on Wick and her mother's well-meaning interventions will put an end to her delicate masquerade.
One part social history, one part comingof-age tale, On Borrowed Wings is an impeccably researched first novel that transports us to 1930s Yale, showing us around through the eyes of an unlikely, appealing female narrator.
To her own surprise, hair chopped and chest bound, Adele falls in naturally with a lively crew of undergraduates: the Jewish Harry Persky with his slick Manhattan know-how, the quiet and mysterious legacy student Phineas, and the lanky, charismatic Wick. And in many ways, Adele faces her freshman year at Yale as would any undergraduate boy: she dreads invasive PE examinations and looks forward to dances, experiments with cigarettes and reads the classics. Through her work with a questionable eugenics professor and her friendship with a local Italian family, Adele confronts her class and ethnicity as never before, all the while fearing that both her crush on Wick and her mother's well-meaning interventions will put an end to her delicate masquerade.
One part social history, one part comingof-age tale, On Borrowed Wings is an impeccably researched first novel that transports us to 1930s Yale, showing us around through the eyes of an unlikely, appealing female narrator.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2007
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1177 people want to read
About the author
Chandra Prasad
10 books105 followersMERCURY BOYS: A YA NOVEL arrives on August 3, 2021. Want to pre-order the book and win some free prizes, including a beautiful, handwrought, fair trade bookmark? Visit chandraprasad.com for details.
Or visit mercuryboys.com and learn about the book's plot and characters, as well as see the mysterious old photographs at the heart of the narrative.
My first young adult novel, Damselfly, is a classic island survival tale disrupted by the unexpected assertion of female control and an explosive reckoning over race and class.
Popular in middle and high schools across the country, Damselfly can be read as a stand-alone novel or in tandem with Lord of the Flies as a parallel text. The book grapples with modern issues that are relatable to today’s teens: bullying, racism, social media connectivity, and mental illness, among others. Resources for educators can be found at chandraprasad.com/damselfly. Complimentary signed bookplates and bookmarks available. Write to the author at www.chandraprasad.com/damselfly/contact/ to learn about class/author Q&A sessions via videoconferencing!
Previously I wrote novels for adults, including On Borrowed Wings, a historical drama set in early 20th century New Haven; Breathe the Sky, a fictionalized account of Amelia Earhart’s last days; and Death of a Circus, which Booklist calls “Richly textured [and] packed with glamour and grit.” I am the originator and editor of Mixed, an anthology of short stories on the multiracial experience, which was published to international acclaim by W.W. Norton and which is used in many college English classes.
My shorter works have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Week, the official magazine of The U.S. Department of State, Teen Voices, and numerous literary, arts, and poetry journals.
I'm a graduate of Yale and a Fellow at one of Yale's residential colleges. I'm currently working on several new books and writing projects.
Praise for Mercury Boys
“Mercury Boys has daguerreotypes and dashing strangers, hiding spots and crossed lines. It’s full of secrets and fraught with danger. Ultimately, it’s like mercury itself—mesmerizing, terrifying, thrilling, and dangerously beautiful. It’s pure alchemy.”
—Carrie Firestone, author of The Loose Ends List and The Unlikelies
“Mercury Boys is a thrilling journey into the perils of adolescent friendship and a touching commentary on love’s timelessness.”
—Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder
“With vividly drawn, multidimensional characters and a riveting voice, Mercury Boys weaves a compelling tale of the intoxicating power of friendship, female rivalry, and romance.”
—Kate Marshall, author of I Am Still Alive, soon to be a major motion picture
“In this snapshot of modern teenage life with a historical twist, Prasad creates a world as haunting as a daguerreotype and as vivid as a high-resolution photo. An exhilarating and thought-provoking ride that will make you think twice next time you’re thumbing through a photo album.”
—Michael Belanger, author of The History of Jane Doe
“For history buffs and hopeless romantics alike, Mercury Boys is a compelling, imaginative romp that will leave teen readers longing for an alternate reality—and a Mercury Boy—of their own.”
—Natasha Friend, author of How We Roll and Perfect
“The concept of ‘mean girl’ time travelers has enormous cinematic potential, particularly as it is tethered to the zeitgeist. In Mercury Boys, Chandra Prasad shows her unique ability to give voice to the acute angst of today’s adolescents, caught between the malaise of contemporary society and an inchoate yearning for the values and romance of the past.”
—Amy Adelson, Motion Picture/Television Producer of Above Suspicion and You Know My Name
Or visit mercuryboys.com and learn about the book's plot and characters, as well as see the mysterious old photographs at the heart of the narrative.
My first young adult novel, Damselfly, is a classic island survival tale disrupted by the unexpected assertion of female control and an explosive reckoning over race and class.
Popular in middle and high schools across the country, Damselfly can be read as a stand-alone novel or in tandem with Lord of the Flies as a parallel text. The book grapples with modern issues that are relatable to today’s teens: bullying, racism, social media connectivity, and mental illness, among others. Resources for educators can be found at chandraprasad.com/damselfly. Complimentary signed bookplates and bookmarks available. Write to the author at www.chandraprasad.com/damselfly/contact/ to learn about class/author Q&A sessions via videoconferencing!
Previously I wrote novels for adults, including On Borrowed Wings, a historical drama set in early 20th century New Haven; Breathe the Sky, a fictionalized account of Amelia Earhart’s last days; and Death of a Circus, which Booklist calls “Richly textured [and] packed with glamour and grit.” I am the originator and editor of Mixed, an anthology of short stories on the multiracial experience, which was published to international acclaim by W.W. Norton and which is used in many college English classes.
My shorter works have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Week, the official magazine of The U.S. Department of State, Teen Voices, and numerous literary, arts, and poetry journals.
I'm a graduate of Yale and a Fellow at one of Yale's residential colleges. I'm currently working on several new books and writing projects.
Praise for Mercury Boys
“Mercury Boys has daguerreotypes and dashing strangers, hiding spots and crossed lines. It’s full of secrets and fraught with danger. Ultimately, it’s like mercury itself—mesmerizing, terrifying, thrilling, and dangerously beautiful. It’s pure alchemy.”
—Carrie Firestone, author of The Loose Ends List and The Unlikelies
“Mercury Boys is a thrilling journey into the perils of adolescent friendship and a touching commentary on love’s timelessness.”
—Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Beasts Made of Night and Crown of Thunder
“With vividly drawn, multidimensional characters and a riveting voice, Mercury Boys weaves a compelling tale of the intoxicating power of friendship, female rivalry, and romance.”
—Kate Marshall, author of I Am Still Alive, soon to be a major motion picture
“In this snapshot of modern teenage life with a historical twist, Prasad creates a world as haunting as a daguerreotype and as vivid as a high-resolution photo. An exhilarating and thought-provoking ride that will make you think twice next time you’re thumbing through a photo album.”
—Michael Belanger, author of The History of Jane Doe
“For history buffs and hopeless romantics alike, Mercury Boys is a compelling, imaginative romp that will leave teen readers longing for an alternate reality—and a Mercury Boy—of their own.”
—Natasha Friend, author of How We Roll and Perfect
“The concept of ‘mean girl’ time travelers has enormous cinematic potential, particularly as it is tethered to the zeitgeist. In Mercury Boys, Chandra Prasad shows her unique ability to give voice to the acute angst of today’s adolescents, caught between the malaise of contemporary society and an inchoate yearning for the values and romance of the past.”
—Amy Adelson, Motion Picture/Television Producer of Above Suspicion and You Know My Name
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
February 9, 2013
It's not often that I finish a book then say immediately afterward, "That was a really good book."
Truly. I never speak my thoughts aloud, express them to the air. But this book moved me, in good ways and bad.
A little history on how I read the book: I bought it off the Apple ebook store a year or two ago. I started reading it. I found it interesting, but I did not finish it. Last night I decided, hell, I should finish reading it! So I did because I recalled the premise: a girl goes to Yale in place of her deceased brother, Charles, in the 1930s. She disguises herself as a boy. Chaos and trouble ensues. Strong basis for a story, rife with potential.
And in many ways, Prasad's book lived up to the potential. After a slow but well-written start, On Borrowed Wingstouches on many issues still discussed widely today: gender roles (obviously), sexism, classism, racism, homosexuality, gender identity. This array of topics is relevant to all growing adolescents, seeking their true selves. The narrator, Adele, explores all these issues, and in some ways comes to understand them and her place among these problems.
In some ways, Prasad was too ambitious to highlight all these problems without ever going deep into one enough. This makes for strange pacing, a sense of rushed-ness. A few of the side characters don't receive proper development; sometimes their external archetypes come to define them. We don't really know them. The relationships are not explained deeply enough. There is a lot of internal reflection, dialogue, and self-examination. I would've liked to see more of the camaraderie between Adele and her new friends.
And yet, I still really enjoyed the book. I'd never read anything like it before. I classify it as both "literature" and "YA lit"--it's got features from both categories, and usually I hate YA lit. So that says a lot about the book. Maybe it was the time period that made this work so well. I don't know. This review is losing steam here. I'll stop now, and simply say that I liked this book. I'll be thinking about it for the next couple of days, despite it lacking the character development all the side characters deserved.
Truly. I never speak my thoughts aloud, express them to the air. But this book moved me, in good ways and bad.
A little history on how I read the book: I bought it off the Apple ebook store a year or two ago. I started reading it. I found it interesting, but I did not finish it. Last night I decided, hell, I should finish reading it! So I did because I recalled the premise: a girl goes to Yale in place of her deceased brother, Charles, in the 1930s. She disguises herself as a boy. Chaos and trouble ensues. Strong basis for a story, rife with potential.
And in many ways, Prasad's book lived up to the potential. After a slow but well-written start, On Borrowed Wingstouches on many issues still discussed widely today: gender roles (obviously), sexism, classism, racism, homosexuality, gender identity. This array of topics is relevant to all growing adolescents, seeking their true selves. The narrator, Adele, explores all these issues, and in some ways comes to understand them and her place among these problems.
In some ways, Prasad was too ambitious to highlight all these problems without ever going deep into one enough. This makes for strange pacing, a sense of rushed-ness. A few of the side characters don't receive proper development; sometimes their external archetypes come to define them. We don't really know them. The relationships are not explained deeply enough. There is a lot of internal reflection, dialogue, and self-examination. I would've liked to see more of the camaraderie between Adele and her new friends.
And yet, I still really enjoyed the book. I'd never read anything like it before. I classify it as both "literature" and "YA lit"--it's got features from both categories, and usually I hate YA lit. So that says a lot about the book. Maybe it was the time period that made this work so well. I don't know. This review is losing steam here. I'll stop now, and simply say that I liked this book. I'll be thinking about it for the next couple of days, despite it lacking the character development all the side characters deserved.
September 29, 2023
Chandra Prasad's On Borrowed Wings has joined the ranks of favorite books that I like to revisit from time to time. It is most thoroughly a comfort read, if only because I know how things end and find the book a completely satisfying read. Not all the questions are answered and frankly the second time around I am still left wanting more, but this is such a wonderful story questioning gender roles, and crossing class and cultural boundaries that it may be comforting to read, but it is most certainly in no way fluffy. Ultimately it's a story about growing up and finding your place in the world, something surely most of us can identify with.
I already wrote about it a couple of years ago, but it's on my mind now after a second read (originally I borrowed it from the library, but recently decided I needed to own it so bought the paper edition), so I feel like writing about it again. I feel like lavishing more praise upon it and perhaps someone else will pick it up and enjoy it as much as I have.
Adele Pietra is a young woman with few opportunities in 1936. Much more her father's daughter, she is a dreamer, happiest gazing at the sky and losing herself in books. Her mother married down when she wed the handsome son of Italian immigrants ensuring a life of hard work as a laundress in Stony Creek, Connecticut. Where once she was a summer visitor, a wealthy "Cottager", she now struggles as the wife of a quarryman, living a life not at all as she expected it to turn out.
Her pride and joy is her son, Charles, who she coaches each evening in preparation for entrance exams to Yale. It's her dream that he'll pull himself up and out of the life of near poverty they lead. There's a rivalry between Adele and Charles that isn't helped by her mother's favoritism of her brother, or the fact that her father sticks up for what her mother views as Adele's lackadaisical behavior.
When both father and brother are killed in an accident at the quarry suddenly, Adele faces an even more uncertain future. With few options left, Adele's mother threatens to marry her off to an older man, another quarryman, thus assuring the cycle of poverty will be renewed. Adele has other ideas. She cuts off her hair and decides to take on the identity of her brother who had just been accepted to Yale before his death. It's a risky venture, but one Adele seemingly falls into easily. She plays the part of Charlie so well at times you forget underneath who she really is.
Some of my favorite passages are where Adele grapples with her contradictory personas.
"Pulling on my trousers, I tucked the length of my skirt awkwardly into the waistband. Although the extra fabric ballooned around my middle, I hid it well enough with my coat. This I buttoned to my chin so that the collar of my blouse didn't show. I pulled on long wool socks and my boy's shoes. I kept my head low. All in all, I felt quite uncomfortable, though I was finally the person I'd been portraying; an amalgam of both sexes, passing by only the humblest margin as either."
Prasad never deals with issues in a heavy-handed manner, rather they are a natural outgrowth of the story and jive with the period she writes about. She never takes a stance but simply tells her story. Prasad is herself a Yale graduate and she paints such a pleasing portrait of student life you almost wish you could step into the pages of the book despite the turmoil Adele often feels.
The paper edition has extra material in the back of the book including a Q&A with the author and I was interested to hear what her inspiration was for On Borrowed Wings:
"One seed for this novel was planted during my junior year of college. In an American history class focusing on women in the South, my professor talked briefly about females who had co-opted the male identity in order to assume roles that would have been barred to them otherwise. I became interested in the idea of altering one's gender in order to thrive, if not simply to survive. Since I knew that Yale had opened its doors to undergraduate women only in 1969, On Borrowed Wings seemed to take shape inside my head with an ease all its own. Both the women throughout history who have dared to impersonate men and the first undergraduate females at Yale inspired the main character, Adele."
In thinking more about the story and how it ends, I think I prefer not to have all the questions answered tidily. The novel covers only Adele's Freshman year at Yale, but I like to think that Adele pulled off her masquerade and that her life's wishes came true.
I already wrote about it a couple of years ago, but it's on my mind now after a second read (originally I borrowed it from the library, but recently decided I needed to own it so bought the paper edition), so I feel like writing about it again. I feel like lavishing more praise upon it and perhaps someone else will pick it up and enjoy it as much as I have.
Adele Pietra is a young woman with few opportunities in 1936. Much more her father's daughter, she is a dreamer, happiest gazing at the sky and losing herself in books. Her mother married down when she wed the handsome son of Italian immigrants ensuring a life of hard work as a laundress in Stony Creek, Connecticut. Where once she was a summer visitor, a wealthy "Cottager", she now struggles as the wife of a quarryman, living a life not at all as she expected it to turn out.
Her pride and joy is her son, Charles, who she coaches each evening in preparation for entrance exams to Yale. It's her dream that he'll pull himself up and out of the life of near poverty they lead. There's a rivalry between Adele and Charles that isn't helped by her mother's favoritism of her brother, or the fact that her father sticks up for what her mother views as Adele's lackadaisical behavior.
When both father and brother are killed in an accident at the quarry suddenly, Adele faces an even more uncertain future. With few options left, Adele's mother threatens to marry her off to an older man, another quarryman, thus assuring the cycle of poverty will be renewed. Adele has other ideas. She cuts off her hair and decides to take on the identity of her brother who had just been accepted to Yale before his death. It's a risky venture, but one Adele seemingly falls into easily. She plays the part of Charlie so well at times you forget underneath who she really is.
Some of my favorite passages are where Adele grapples with her contradictory personas.
"Pulling on my trousers, I tucked the length of my skirt awkwardly into the waistband. Although the extra fabric ballooned around my middle, I hid it well enough with my coat. This I buttoned to my chin so that the collar of my blouse didn't show. I pulled on long wool socks and my boy's shoes. I kept my head low. All in all, I felt quite uncomfortable, though I was finally the person I'd been portraying; an amalgam of both sexes, passing by only the humblest margin as either."
Prasad never deals with issues in a heavy-handed manner, rather they are a natural outgrowth of the story and jive with the period she writes about. She never takes a stance but simply tells her story. Prasad is herself a Yale graduate and she paints such a pleasing portrait of student life you almost wish you could step into the pages of the book despite the turmoil Adele often feels.
The paper edition has extra material in the back of the book including a Q&A with the author and I was interested to hear what her inspiration was for On Borrowed Wings:
"One seed for this novel was planted during my junior year of college. In an American history class focusing on women in the South, my professor talked briefly about females who had co-opted the male identity in order to assume roles that would have been barred to them otherwise. I became interested in the idea of altering one's gender in order to thrive, if not simply to survive. Since I knew that Yale had opened its doors to undergraduate women only in 1969, On Borrowed Wings seemed to take shape inside my head with an ease all its own. Both the women throughout history who have dared to impersonate men and the first undergraduate females at Yale inspired the main character, Adele."
In thinking more about the story and how it ends, I think I prefer not to have all the questions answered tidily. The novel covers only Adele's Freshman year at Yale, but I like to think that Adele pulled off her masquerade and that her life's wishes came true.
May 11, 2008
Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
The year is 1936. In the small town of Stony Creek there lives a family of four. There is the mother, a washer woman who used to be a privileged daughter of a professor until she married the father, an Italian quarry man. They had two children, a boy, Charles, and a daughter, Adele.
Charles is the apple of his mother's eye and is being groomed to go to Yale on scholarship. Adele is her father's favorite and her mom is preparing her to be the wife of a quarry man and a laundress. The problem is that Adele is smarter than her brother.
This would have been the path that they would have taken except that Charles and his father are killed in a quarry accident. Adele then disguises herself as a boy and takes Charles's place at the all-male college of Yale. Once there, Adele has to adapt to being a boy, take on a eugenics professor who is trying to prove that all immigrants are unintelligent, and try to be an average freshman in college.
She befriends three other boys and an Italian family that almost adopts her. She proves to be very brave and spunky. There is also a visit by Emelia Earhart to the college, which is a wonderful scene.
I absolutely loved this book. The main characters of Adele and her mother, Gertie, are interesting and many-layered. It left me wanting more. I want to know how Adele becomes Adele again. If she finds love with the rascally Wick. Does she ever reunite with her mother and her mother's family? How will World War II affect the lives of these characters? Believe me, you'll want to know, too!
The year is 1936. In the small town of Stony Creek there lives a family of four. There is the mother, a washer woman who used to be a privileged daughter of a professor until she married the father, an Italian quarry man. They had two children, a boy, Charles, and a daughter, Adele.
Charles is the apple of his mother's eye and is being groomed to go to Yale on scholarship. Adele is her father's favorite and her mom is preparing her to be the wife of a quarry man and a laundress. The problem is that Adele is smarter than her brother.
This would have been the path that they would have taken except that Charles and his father are killed in a quarry accident. Adele then disguises herself as a boy and takes Charles's place at the all-male college of Yale. Once there, Adele has to adapt to being a boy, take on a eugenics professor who is trying to prove that all immigrants are unintelligent, and try to be an average freshman in college.
She befriends three other boys and an Italian family that almost adopts her. She proves to be very brave and spunky. There is also a visit by Emelia Earhart to the college, which is a wonderful scene.
I absolutely loved this book. The main characters of Adele and her mother, Gertie, are interesting and many-layered. It left me wanting more. I want to know how Adele becomes Adele again. If she finds love with the rascally Wick. Does she ever reunite with her mother and her mother's family? How will World War II affect the lives of these characters? Believe me, you'll want to know, too!
May 31, 2013
To escape a small town, a girl pretends to be her dead brother to get into Princeton in the 1930's. I had a hard time believing the plausibility of the novel. There were some interesting themes that never went anywhere. The relationship with her mother was the only part that was really well established. It seemed to have a rushed ending where everything was wrapped up into a neat, tidy bow. Wouldn't recommend.
November 11, 2008
chandra prasad edited the anthology mixed, which is a collection of stories about being mixed race. her editor intro thing said that she was coming out with a novel shortly about a young woman who poses as a boy in the 1930s in order to attend yale (before yale went co-ed, obvs). for some reason, this idea captured my imagination, & i was breathless with excitement, waiting for the book to show up at the library. well, this is that book, & yeah, the protaganist assumes the male identity of her dead older brother in order to attend yale in his stead (he died in an accident at the steel mill--due to her poverty & gender, she wouldn't have been able to attend college any other way). she has to conceal her actual gender from all of her classmates & try to bro down with people & pretend to be into girls & stuff, because she actually identifies as a straight woman. she's just doing the dude thing to get a good education. & then she falls in love with one of her buddies, a total campus alpha dog, who somehow figures out that she's a lady & they have a romance. she also does community service with the poor communities in new haven & devotes herself to helping out one family in particular, teaching them all how to read. & there's something about her student work job & how her boss is a xenophobic hitler supporter or something, i don't totally remember. i blocked it out a little because the guy was so objectionable. in retrospect, my anticipation for the book was kind of better than the book itself, but it was still pretty good.
September 28, 2009
What a lovely story!!! And so many stories in one... so many issues dealt with by the characters.. There is a well to do, spoiled girl that marries "beneath" her and is indefinetly estranged from her parents. There is a tense marriage between an Italian immigrant and a woman not quite used to doing for herself. There is sibling rivalry as one child is always favored over the other. There is mother/daughter discord, death, grief, and of course, the main plot, a girl dressing as a boy to attend Yale. It all blends so beautifully together.
I loved Adele and I enjoyed watching her mature and grow throughout the novel. When she steps into her dead brother's shoes and attends Yale in his place, she is a scared young girl. By the time her first year is over she is blossoming into a mature, strong minded woman hidden in a pair of trousers. I also liked the sexual tension between her and one of her friends. I was in suspense wondering where that would go. Adele also pulls off a very admirable stunt with a professor that is a closet Nazi. This being pre World War 2, I thought it was an excellent touch. I liked the friends and "family" Adele adopts along the way too. I found myself warming to the characters and even felt as tho I was in their homes.
My only complaint: A sequel is in order. I am left somewhat hanging. I think Prasad should write another book with Adele.. What does she do after college? What becomes of her relationship with Wick? How much longer can she pass herself off as a boy? Tell us more, Prasad!
I loved Adele and I enjoyed watching her mature and grow throughout the novel. When she steps into her dead brother's shoes and attends Yale in his place, she is a scared young girl. By the time her first year is over she is blossoming into a mature, strong minded woman hidden in a pair of trousers. I also liked the sexual tension between her and one of her friends. I was in suspense wondering where that would go. Adele also pulls off a very admirable stunt with a professor that is a closet Nazi. This being pre World War 2, I thought it was an excellent touch. I liked the friends and "family" Adele adopts along the way too. I found myself warming to the characters and even felt as tho I was in their homes.
My only complaint: A sequel is in order. I am left somewhat hanging. I think Prasad should write another book with Adele.. What does she do after college? What becomes of her relationship with Wick? How much longer can she pass herself off as a boy? Tell us more, Prasad!
November 30, 2008
Set in 1930's on the Yale campus, so it was of particular interest to me. Adele in the guise of a young man, enrolls at Yale. She's a tough cookie, which is admirable, but at the same time sensitive and concerned about the less fortunate in her community. She grapples with moral issues, intellectual honesty, and loyalty to a mother who does not understand her ambition.
I wouldn't say that it was a "great" or "sweeping" book that changed my life, but as a vignette of history, it was well-researched and expertly written.
I wouldn't say that it was a "great" or "sweeping" book that changed my life, but as a vignette of history, it was well-researched and expertly written.
October 23, 2010
This book is perfectly written. Miss Prasad's prose is certainly one which will keep you hanging onto the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen next to Charles/Adele. Great, worthwhile read! I've never been a fan of fiction set back in the earlier eras, but the tinge of feminism, and drive of adversity held my interest up until I finished reading.<3
February 25, 2009
Amazing book.
October 17, 2009
I picked this book up from the bargain table at Borders this summer because I liked the dust jacket. I knew nothing about this book going in (which is how I like to read) and it took me to a place I didn't expect or see coming at all. It had me most of the way (I'd say 3/4), but the other 1/4 of what makes an exceptional book is that things just feel right. And for some reason, this didn't. Certain things that happened were contrived; some of the situations just didn't seem possible; Adele did things sometimes that felt completely out of character. Having said that, most of the writing in this novel was beautiful and the concept of the story was good.
BUT (and here's the spoiler) I just have a hard time with girls acting like boys (dressing like them, trying to be them, having other people believe them--maybe watching the movie "She's the Man" ruined me forever). I didn't believe any of her friends would believe she was a boy, and I just simply didn't buy that she'd get away with it. And the ending--much too contrived and too perfect a solution to everyone's troubles. Life isn't that way, and I normally don't like fiction to be either.
I didn't dislike reading this book--it read fast and kept my interest, but I just had a hard time believing it all.
BUT (and here's the spoiler) I just have a hard time with girls acting like boys (dressing like them, trying to be them, having other people believe them--maybe watching the movie "She's the Man" ruined me forever). I didn't believe any of her friends would believe she was a boy, and I just simply didn't buy that she'd get away with it. And the ending--much too contrived and too perfect a solution to everyone's troubles. Life isn't that way, and I normally don't like fiction to be either.
I didn't dislike reading this book--it read fast and kept my interest, but I just had a hard time believing it all.
September 30, 2009
For some reason, I felt like I read this book before. Or maybe I felt like the book was so contrived that it couldn't have really happened the way it did in this novel. Whatever.[return][return]Adele Pietra grew up in a limestone quarry town and her father and brother are unexpectedly killed in a mining accident. Her brother had just been accepted into Yale. (This is the first thing that seemed strange to me. Adele discusses how much brighter she is than her brother, yet the poor boy gets into Yale?) Rather than marrying a quarryman to support her mother, Adele cuts her hair and goes off to Yale. (The fact that her mother allowed her to do this is the second thing that bothered me. Adele would be spoiled goods after this and not marriageable at all). While the year at Yale is fascinating, I just didn't get sucked into the story. I just don't think Adele could have passed this test. She wasn't raised to be this independent.
April 5, 2012
Oh the soul in this story! Wonderful writing and personal suspense with insightful observations. Adele is intelligent, curious, full of dreams like her father, and determined to go places and escape her childhood poverty. Through fortuitous events, she becomes a male student at Yale. Will she be found out?
Her three closest male friends at Yale take her along on youthful adventures, pranks, and experiences she couldn't have imagined. She learns much, gives much, hides much and grows. Her spirit and sense of ethics produce other sticky situations. How long can she conceal her real identity?
Adele, as Charlie, comes to terms with her relationship with each family member and matures. She finds a life calling, something she loves to do, and is forced to make tough decisions along the way.
Her three closest male friends at Yale take her along on youthful adventures, pranks, and experiences she couldn't have imagined. She learns much, gives much, hides much and grows. Her spirit and sense of ethics produce other sticky situations. How long can she conceal her real identity?
Adele, as Charlie, comes to terms with her relationship with each family member and matures. She finds a life calling, something she loves to do, and is forced to make tough decisions along the way.
June 29, 2010
This is the story of Adele Pietra and her coming of age as a woman in 1930s Connecticut. After losing her brother and father in a tragic accident, she decides (with her mother's help) to assume her brother's identity and take his place at Yale. She and her mom spend weeks on how to dress and walk and act like a man and then off she goes. I really enjoyed reading this book - the character of Adele is compelling and believable. Her struggles with fitting in with her male classmates (and dealing with a very ill-timed crush) make for pretty engaging stuff. I especially enjoy the plotline that involves the Adele's work with tutoring a local family's children - and the way she sees a reflection of her former self in their young daughter. I definitely recommend this book!
October 2, 2008
A little bit "Breaking Away", a little bit "Boys Don't Cry" - Adele comes from poverty in a town with a huge divide between those who have and those who don't. Tragedy strikes and she ends up assuming her brother's identity as a freshman at Yale in the 1930's - when girls were not admitted - and learns to live her own dreams rather than the dreams of her mother. But the book felt incomplete - just when it was becoming really interesting, it ended. Also, a few of the characters, specifically the mother and the professor Adele worked for, were so unbelievable that they took away from the book as a whole.
March 27, 2009
Finished this book in a matter of hours. Well-written, quite well-written, but a little bit fluffy at times with themes and motifs that were a little too easy to pick out of the narrative. Some characters came across as stock characters rather than original creations, and a few potentially interesting subplots -- Adele's guilt over having resented her brother so much only to see him die tragically, why Chadwick Foster is so convinced he's a terrible person (I was expecting a legitimate dark secret to surface) -- were underdeveloped.
And seriously -- does every novel about Ivy League students really need to include something about the secret tunnels hidden under the school?
And seriously -- does every novel about Ivy League students really need to include something about the secret tunnels hidden under the school?
March 11, 2012
This novel has so man things to commend it. Prasad's gentle tone and well-developed characters make one want to walk into the narrative and experience it from the inside out. The issues--identity; coming of age; gender, class, and ethnic differences; family relationships; friendship and trust; academic politics--all resonate for the contemporary reader, even though the book is set at Yale in the 30's. As Adele navigates her strange new world and overcomes so many obstacles to her success, we cheer her on. At the same time, one wonders what will happen to her in 4 years. A perfect read for a contemplative weekend.
January 9, 2010
This was recommended to me by my friend Diana, and it's a really interesting meditation on gender and ethnic identity. Like Diana mentioned to me, it at first seems like an ideal high school read, but it really picks up during the last third, where the novel becomes a very adult treatment of how one person can rebel against sexist and racist forces in the form of crossdressing and thwarting eugenicists' aims.
July 11, 2011
Would not have chosen to read this book; it was a book club choice. The premise was
far-fetched, the characters mostly one-dimensional, and I had to suspend disbelief
a number of times to continue reading. Maybe it would be an entertaining read for young teen-age girls. There is some social history here, and the idea of a girl masquerading as a boy in an all male school might be a fun read for that age group.
August 30, 2014
A fascinating novel about Adele Pietra, a young woman masquerading as her brother Charles so she can take his place at Yale in the 1930s. I was engrossed by Adele's character and her strength of will as she encounters many obstacles during her first year at Yale. When I read the ending, I wanted to know more—how long can Adele maintain her identity as a man? When and how can she resume her real identity?
September 28, 2009
I was more interested in some storylines than others. Great premise however I was a bit disappointed with plot, not much actually happens over a long time and then quite a lot happens over a short time. The themes were rather obvious and I think the character could have been more complex. Overall pretty unsatisfying but points for a great subject matter.
September 4, 2011
The time frame was off, I did not believe the plot was plausible; the story dated in 1936 the slang was not believable she couldn't convenience me that was the year this story took place. The story was predictable did not like and was irritated that the story had little depth, few struggles fitting in, I doubt that the rich and poor students socialized as easily as author portrayed.
October 9, 2012
The writing flows smoothly but is not stellar. It's an interesting story, but LOTS of inconsistencies. And several places where the actions of the characters are totally unbelievable. Some characters are introduced and then dropped, themes are started and then not developed, sub-plots don't fit in naturally.
October 30, 2007
Not bad. There wasn't the big climax that I had anticipated - how/when/to whom would Adele reveal herself at Yale. The author did introduce a few too many subplots that were not maintained throughout the story, although all had some sort of resolution.
December 1, 2009
read for book club
liked New Haven locale
liked main character and her dilemmas about being a young woman in a man's world
liked writing style
would read more Chandra Prasad
glad to support local talent!
liked New Haven locale
liked main character and her dilemmas about being a young woman in a man's world
liked writing style
would read more Chandra Prasad
glad to support local talent!
September 8, 2011
This was a fun book to read especially reading about place in New Haven and Branford I know. Also some Yale history was interesting. Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much had I not had an interest in the setting of the story.
July 31, 2009
So far engaging and quite historically accurate on several fronts. Good display of Yale in the 1930s.
February 23, 2010
I loved this book. It was a great story of a young girl who is forced to tell a lie in order to gain the education she desperately craves. I highly recommend it!
August 2, 2011
This one is superb.
March 26, 2012
Eh, it was okay. It ended nicely. Prasad's style of writing is not my thing. Perhaps a tad Yale? ;)
June 14, 2014
ugh. couldn't even get past the first couple of chapters.
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