Green

by Frances Sherwood

Zoe feels stifled by her conventional family life, so different from Margo and her father, with whom she reaches her sexual awakening. When he dies, Zoe rejects her family's values and embraces a nomadic existence. But tragedy haunts her, until she makes one final act of desperation.

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Frances Sherwood is an American writer, novelist, and educator. Sherwood has published four novels and one book of short stories. Her 1992 novel, Vindication, was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It has been translated into twelve languages.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mormon girl's journey through life in the 1950's. Touching with good characters. I wonder if she might write a sequel as, although novel is totally self-contained it only covers a few years, and the heroine is such an interesting person that I found myself wondering what might come next.

[Maddie Tiare · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was really really good until the last approximately 20 pages. A lot of crazy, horrible shit happened, but nothing felt like it was done just for shock value until that last thing. I can’t stand when things happen just for shock value.

[Stacey Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very strange but interesting

[hagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love Sherwood's writing. This is a bit of a departure from her historical fiction, seeing as it takes place in the U.S. (albeit in the '50s). But it's got her usual beautiful turn of phrase and inquiry into the experience of being a woman. Touching, gripping.

[R.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of Zoe, a lovely, brainy yet awkward girl in beatnik San Francisco.