We really like Sara Zarr: both her writing and her human self. We like her honesty and her skepticism and her kindness. We especially appreciated her insight and advice on podcasting and are big fans of her This Creative Life show.
Story of a Girl is one of our favorite books. Clearly we’re not alone – it was a finalist many awards, including the National Book Award in 2007, and received many other accolades and honors as well.
In Story of a Girl, there is a scene that is so powerful and unforgettable that we’ve decided to honor it with our own analysis. The scene involves the main character, Deanna, and her older brother’s friend Tommy. This scene functions on so many levels, sending so many messages and revealing so many layers of both characters, that it rightly blows our minds whenever we read it. That it clocks in at around 600 words is all the more remarkable.
If you have not read Story of a Girl, this scene is not a spoiler. After the jump is a pdf with the scene in question and our comments in the margin. Feel free to leave your own comments on this post as well.
Enjoy!
C&C
Zarr excerpt STORY OF A GIRL <—-click link to see text
For more Sara Zarr:
website: www.sarazarr.com
Twitter: @sarazarr
Podcast: This Creative Life
The Oral History Podcast 