CRESS DELEHANTY

by Jessamyn West ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 21, 1953

A charming and perceptive series of stories about Cress Delehanty and ""how she grew"" -- from twelve to sixteen -- a sort of feminine Penrod. A sensitive, romantic child, a lover of words for their own sake, filled with pity and in various adolescent ways, understanding, Cress goes through successive episodes that add to her comprehension not only of herself but of others. We share her first experience with death and sorrow; we see her searching for her own ""trademark"" and viewing herself as her parents see her; we trace her changing attitudes towards boys and love, her crushes, her superstitions. There are horrors, too, as in an experience with the father of a school friend, the disillusionment with her music teacher, the discovery that death is as terrible for the old as for the young. Cress is a fascinating, funny, intelligent, alive child, and perhaps the author has chosen the best way to tell her story. But the method has its shortcomings, a sort of standardized pattern as each incident climaxes in new understanding. Though there is variety in the setup, the freshness and surprise of recognition is lost in the monotony of pattern. Possibly this is inevitable in putting New Yorker stories into book form. But in the main, Cress Delehanty is a triumph over its liabilities and the book will have wide appeal. Book of the Month selection.

Pub Date: Dec. 21, 1953

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harcourt, Brace

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1953

Categories: FICTION