BECOMING JIJI. A FEMINIST LITERARY COMING-OF-AGE NOVEL - Tecno-Libro

Jill Frisk, 18-year-old daughter of a violent father and shattered mother, has no plans, no hope. She is a straight-A high school graduate, but her 1970s blue collar neighborhood in North Minneapolis discourages women s dreams. Although she reads advanced chemistry books as a hobby, her father won t allow her to go to college. The prospect of an existence like her mother s holds Jill in the grip of depression. Joe Stern, the new recreation director, sees Jill differently. He hires her to run a preschool group and assists her in founding a teen council that uplifts the neighborhood. With his encouragement, she rises above her depression and discovers she has a world-class singing voice. Empowered with the promise of a future she never dreamed possible, Jill finds a safe home for her family and brings her mother back to life. Jill falls in love with Joe, but she s too shy to tell him before he suddenly leaves town. Will new, improved Jill have the guts to pursu