Jennifer

by Zoa Sherburne

Jennifer hurries into her room and closes the door softly. Her eyes fill with tears, and she doesn't even try to blink them away. "Mother thinks I'm ashamed of her, I'm sure she does. She believes that's why I've never asked Griff or any of the other kids to come here--because I'm ashamed of her!"

But even as Jennifer dashes the tears away, she knows that the saddest thing about it is ... it's true.

Genres: Young Adult

Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

Born in Seattle and reared in Washington, Mrs. Sherburne began writing while attending Whittier Elementary School and in early 1940 had progressed to the point that the weekly Ballard Tribune newspaper published a column of what she called light verse under the headline "The Gremlin's Say."

Then Mrs. Sherburne entered a radio program's limerick-writing contest and won a $250 first prize that was invested in a short-story-writing course. Over the next 15 years she had more than 300 short stories published in Women's Day, Seventeen, Collier's and other magazines.

When television began cutting into the magazines and her agent suggested she start writing books. The first of 13 full-length novels followed. She never learned to type. She said she was beyond that and that she composed as she typed.

All of Mrs. Sherburne's stories and novels dealt with young girls in some kind of crisis, "some kind of problem. One of them was about a girl whose mother was an alcoholic." That book, "Jennifer," eventually won an award from the Child Study Association of America.

Originally it was turned down by a publisher who said they could not publish anything like that. Two years later they called and asked, `Do you still have that book sitting around? " Her books were translated into 27 languages.

Another, "Stranger In The House," became a made-for-television movie starring Lindsay Wagner.

For many years she was a single parent because her husband of 30 years, Herbert, died when the younger children were small. Mrs. Sherburne did not remarry.

Reviews

[Nattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another favorite of mine to read. I highly enjoy the story of Jennifer and her family and friends no matter how many times I read it. Jennifer can get quite annoying when it comes to her mother's alcoholism, but it's easy to understand why she behaves the way she does.
What bothered me the most was that Jennifer and her father didn't quite seem to get why Mrs. Martin simply couldn't cope with what happened. It felt to me that they thought she should just get over it or past it as quickly as they had managed to go on. I couldn't even begin to imagine witnessing something like that.
Nice quaint book to enjoy, especially if you like witty, 1950's-style, fast-paced teenage banter, which I do so much!It's simply the end!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent period piece about teen life in the 1960s and the embarrassment of a mom who became an alcoholic after the death of a daughter. The remaining family moves to a new town to start over. Jennifer learns how to make friends and must deal with the fickleness of boys. I found this particularly interesting as the concept of "going steady" is well explained, along with how some girls choose going steady not because they really like the boy but because it makes their social calendar easier. Being a teenager in the 60s must have been wonderful, when boys actually took girls on dates and didn't just expect sex. I remember my friends and I being really confused in the late 80s/early 90s when "going out" didn't mean actually going anywhere at all. 🙄

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennifer doesn't invite friends over...because she's never sure her mother will be sober. An honest, sympathetic, touching, and ultimately hopeful portrayal of dealing with parental alcoholism, that will resonate with kids today as much as it did when it was first published. (Given the original publication date of 1959, it was probably among the earliest of novels to present alcoholism as an illness, rather than as a moral failing.)

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teen story of a girl whose mother is alcoholic. I loved this book as a teenager and kept it till this day, though it is well out of date now.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written many years ago, but it still holds up quite well. The main character, Jennifer, is a teenager who has just moved from New York to a quiet town in Washington state. The story, like many teen novels of the era, covers her social life, making new friends, getting to know an attractive boy in her class, attending social events and so on.

But that's not the main theme of the story. Jennifer's mother is an alcoholic, recently in recovery, and Jennifer is constantly afraid that their old life, when she never knew what condition her mother would be in when she came home from school, will return to haunt them.

The book rings true. One has the feeling (though I don't know) that the author was no stranger to the dynamics of the alcoholic family, especially how it affects the children. Her depiction of Jennifer, adjusting to a new school and life, but never quite able to take her mother's new sobriety for granted even for a minute, is poignantly authentic. It makes for an entertaining story, but also a thoughtful one.

[Catherine Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a pleasant book to read. I enjoy reading books from different eras, and picked this book up because it was written in the 1950s (this era has always fascinated me) and the story sounded interesting.

I enjoyed the book - the subject matter may be relatable for some people and it was handled well.

Sherburne's writing is simple but personality and emotion are displayed throughout. The relationship between Jennifer and her mother was well-written, and the characters were likable and relatable. Though it had been written almost sixty years ago, Jennifer still holds up to this day and remains a very realistic and enjoyable novel. Recommended.

[Margaret Rosen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this Scholastic book in grammar school in... 1970? It's dated of course, but so much of it holds up, especially the girls' friendships and the lessons learned from a little gentle heartbreak. And it presents alcoholism in a surprisingly modern light. Now I'm going to stuff the fridge with Cokes and get a dreamy new sweater so I can study French with my friend's mom who is a WWII bride (so volatile and chic!)