CAMELLIA SEASON

In late-1960s New Orleans, a teen and her friends long to make it to adulthood.

It’s 1965, and 13-year-old Cherie is counting down the days until she turns 18 and can escape from her mother, a French immigrant named Paulette. Cherie endures her mother’s constant scorn, and she eventually learns that her mother has all but rejected her and regrets having given birth to her. One of the teenager’s few comforts is the wordless diary in which she makes illustrations to vent her frustrations. In the past, Cherie tried to keep a written diary, but Paulette turned it into a joke. As she grows up, she finds peace away from her home with her close friends, all of whom have their own struggles and who, like Cherie, are passionate about social justice (they all stage a walkout to demand integration in their high school). Katherine’s home life mirrors Cherie’s. Her mother strives to be a socialite and, in the process, neglects her children. Estelle’s parents both have tuberculosis and are bedridden. Marlene is the most stable of the friend group and gets the least air time. Peterson’s style is reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird in its evocative and specific descriptions of the South and its people (“Wayne was a slab of beef from Texas with greased-back dark hair and narrow blue eyes”), as well as the episodic nature of the plot. Like Scout, Cherie is a clever youth and unafraid to question convention. Peterson’s wit continually amuses, especially when noting some social ill: “The smokers and stoners were the most integrated group at school…. They joked amongst themselves that Fortier High School could be a joyful place if only people would act like them.” While most of the plotlines knit together, there’s the occasional perplexing narrative choice. For example, halfway through the book, the character Elaine suddenly appears, and we get an infodump about her tragedies. Simultaneously, Estelle is replaced with Lila as Estelle moves on to another social group. Despite some inconsistency and dropped storylines, Peterson delivers an affecting, authentic tale.

An involving coming-of-age novel with New Orleans flavor.