Product Description

'Trouble began in 1963. I'm not blaming it on President Kennedy's assassination or its being the beginning of the sixties or the Vietnam War or The Beatles...The trouble I'm talking about was my first real trouble, the age-old trouble. The getting in trouble as in ' Is she in trouble?' trouble. As in pregnant. As in the girl who got pregnant in high school.' Beverly Ann Donofrio wasn't bad because she hung out with hoods - she was bad because she was a hood. Unable to attend college, she lost interest in everything but riding around in cars, drinking, smoking, and rebelling against authority. After her teenage marriage failed, Bev found herself at an elite New England university, books in one arm, child on the other. Then, furnished with ambition, dreams and five hundred dollars, she took herself and her son to New York to begin a career and a life. An outrageous and touching memoir, this is the story of a teenage mother who, as her son grows up, becomes an adult herself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #815864 in Books
• Published on: 1992-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Review
'A classic. Unless you hate to laugh, read it now' CHICAGO TRIBUNE 'What Beverly Donofrio makes you realise is that even very, very B-A-D girls can redeem themselves with pluck, luck, and gallows humour. Every swoop and dive of this roller coaster life presents another off-kilter view of humanity. You're just so glad it was Donofrio, and not you!' Jacki Lyden, author of DAUGHTER OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA 'She writes as though she was born without brakes- it's shrewd, touching, funny and astonishing.' Joanna Lumley 'She describes her relucant disastrous marriage at 17 and subsequent battle to educate herself, while brining up her son alone on welfare, with a humour and tenacity that is touching and shockingly funny... This sends her spare, witty prose dancing across the page.' OBSERVER

Jacki Lyden, author of DAUGHTER OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA
'Every swoop and dive of this roller coaster life presents another offkilter view of humanity.'

About the Author
Beverly Donofrio studied at Wesleyan University, then went on to receive an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. Her work has appeared in The Village Voice and New York magazine. She is also the author of Looking for Mary.

Customer Reviews

Inspiring...
I read this before the film and (likewise with the movie) I found it shocking and inspiring. Donofrio wrote with the candour of somebody who was in a vicious circle and had to cope with the reality of her father (who had the old Italian attitude - boys are more important) and living with a young child (when she still was herself) and with a junkie for a husband. It is a must for anybody who is furnished with a dream and has found themselves in a similar situation. It is also an excellent read for any individual who is not in a paraller situation, but wants to learn just how others cope. It's at times raw, humourous and all in all reality. Even the movie version didn't "sugar coat it" (well, maybe slightly at the end)and this is a strength of the novel - it lets people see just how young girls can really ruin their lives if they get pregant as a teenager. It also shows that getting to university is within reach if you really want it and also even though parents may see strict in their ways they still love you. Go buy it!

Inspiring
A brilliant book, the story of a girl stumbling through life and eventually succeeding despite herself! Can't wait to see the film.

Brilliant, teaches teens what motherhood is like.
I read this book after the film and I thought this book really wonderful but really teaches older teens (especially girls who want children so early in life) that it is not so easy being a parent in teen years. I would definatly reccommed this book/film to anyone and it its definatly inspiring. Also a drug related film/book which people who take them suffer badly. Thank you for reading and I hope you find this helpful. For help with what age groups you should let read this and wheather you will enjoy this book or not.