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Class of '44
Book by Shaner
Paperback
First published April 1, 1973
10 people want to read
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August 7, 2021
"CLASS OF '44" begins at a high school graduation ceremony for the graduates of Erasmus Hall in June 1944.
The 'teen triumvirate' of Hermie, 'Oscy' (Oscar), and Benjie from the best-selling novel Summer of '42 are among the anxious and hopeful graduates. Like everyone else of the time, their lives are shadowed by the ongoing Second World War. What to do now? is a question that for the 3 teens has taken on a weighty and inescapable significance. Benjie, who was always regarded as the eccentric or odd ball of the trio, opts to enlist in the Marines and, upon completion of training, is sent into combat in the Pacific. Hermie and 'Oscy'(a brash, loud mouth character with a bear-like build) apply for and are accepted as students at the University of Connecticut. The book highlights their first semester on campus, during which time Hermie unexpectedly finds love and, along with Oscy, pledges himself with one of the fraternities.
"Class of '44" (originally published in 1973) would probably be looked upon today as a young adult novel, for it has all the hallmarks of that genre. It's a very compelling story. And for anyone who loves a novel that evokes nostalgia and a palpable sense of what life was like for teens during the 1940s, "Class of '44" is a winner.
The 'teen triumvirate' of Hermie, 'Oscy' (Oscar), and Benjie from the best-selling novel Summer of '42 are among the anxious and hopeful graduates. Like everyone else of the time, their lives are shadowed by the ongoing Second World War. What to do now? is a question that for the 3 teens has taken on a weighty and inescapable significance. Benjie, who was always regarded as the eccentric or odd ball of the trio, opts to enlist in the Marines and, upon completion of training, is sent into combat in the Pacific. Hermie and 'Oscy'(a brash, loud mouth character with a bear-like build) apply for and are accepted as students at the University of Connecticut. The book highlights their first semester on campus, during which time Hermie unexpectedly finds love and, along with Oscy, pledges himself with one of the fraternities.
"Class of '44" (originally published in 1973) would probably be looked upon today as a young adult novel, for it has all the hallmarks of that genre. It's a very compelling story. And for anyone who loves a novel that evokes nostalgia and a palpable sense of what life was like for teens during the 1940s, "Class of '44" is a winner.
Displaying 1 of 1 review