{"product_id":"girlhood-and-adolescence-in-the-twenty-first-century-southern-novel-1","title":"Girlhood and Adolescence in the Twenty-First-Century Southern Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eGirlhood and Adolescence in the Twenty-First-Century Southern Novel\u003c\/i\u003e explores six works by contemporary Southern women writers, each featuring a girl protagonist navigating complex personal and cultural challenges rooted in the American South. These twenty-first-century portrayals mark a significant shift from earlier depictions of Southern girlhood—most notably in the protagonists’ relationships with family and their striking detachment from Civil War memory and its lingering legacy. \t\u003cbr\u003e \t\u003cbr\u003e \tCentral to each narrative is a longing for the absent or deceased mother and, in most cases, an aversion to the father figure, who is often depicted as abusive or irresponsible. Yet the specific struggles these girls face vary widely. While racism and racial tension appear in several novels, only one centers entirely on Black\/white relations. Some grapple with extreme poverty or life in overlooked working-class communities, while others explore spiritual journeys outside of traditional Christianity—embracing instead woman-centered or alternative paths to the divine. \t\u003cbr\u003e \t\u003cbr\u003e \tThe book offers critical analyses of the following novels: \u003ci\u003eThe Queen of Palmyra\u003c\/i\u003e by Minrose Gwin, \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Life of Bees\u003c\/i\u003e by Sue Monk Kidd, \u003ci\u003eBitter in the Mouth\u003c\/i\u003e by Monique Truong, \u003ci\u003eSalvage the Bones\u003c\/i\u003e by Jesmyn Ward, \u003ci\u003eThe Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder\u003c\/i\u003e by Rebecca Wells, and \u003ci\u003eThe Unraveling of Mercy Louis\u003c\/i\u003e by Keija Parssinen. \t\u003cbr\u003e \t\u003cbr\u003e \tUnified by themes of autonomy and resistance, these girl characters challenge gender norms and defy societal expectations. They are self-possessed, guided by their own desires, and determined to carve out lives on their own terms—offering a bold reimagining of what it means to grow up Southern in the twenty-first century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University Press of Mississippi","offers":[{"title":"Default Product","offer_id":56672956318040,"sku":"9781496862082","price":28.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781496862082.jpg?v=1770382881","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/girlhood-and-adolescence-in-the-twenty-first-century-southern-novel-1","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}