The Joys of Love by Madeleine L'EngleDetermined to be an actress, 20-year-old Elizabeth apprentices with a summer-stock company, where over one pivotal weekend she learns about acting, friendship, betrayal and determination. She loves Kurt, who sees her only as a possible conquest, while her friend Ben waits patiently and protectively for her to face the truth.
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Never before published, although written at the time of its 1940s setting, it is both somewhat dated and surprisingly modern in its tone. The Automat, dirndl skirts, telephones without direct dial and even Elizabeth's aunt's disapproval of the easy mingling of the company's boys and girls might need explaining for the current generation. But learning to make one's way in the adult world and dealing with first sexual encounters are timeless themes. L'Engle wrote of these matters without coyness and with the facility for language for which she later became renowned. An introduction by the author's granddaughter provides the back story of the work and its connection to the author's own life and career. A joy indeed.
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