Annie John

I think this book was an easy novel to get through because it is easy to relate to. My background is not of slavery or racial oppression, however, it is a girl growing up. I feel like Annie John exemplifies a young girl growing up, no matter the ethnicity. At one point in life, about age 10, she adored her mother. She looked upon her mother as the most beautiful woman, intelligent, courageous, etc. At one point I think every girl looks at her mother that way. As she grows older she begins to think less of her mother. She feels her mother has other concerns outside of her and feels left out from her old life. I think at one point every girl growing up can relate to going from adoration for her mother to seeing a more accurate depiction. I view Annie John as a coming of age story in many ways. The strongest way is in the maturity she gains as she grows older. She begins to flirt with boys and see her mother's real life. When Annie John's mother called her a slut after she was flirting with the boys in town, she at age 10 never would have yelled back at her mother "like daughter, like mother." She has matured, not in the sense that she can yell back at her mom, but that she can see accuracy in her life.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this novel. I think it was easy to relate and continuously kept me interested.