What do you think?
Rate this book
Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones
Football hero Bo Jo Jones and his girlfriend July are in love. On the night of the prom, they do what so many couples in love do. Soon, July finds out that she is pregnant with Bo Jo's baby and suddenly the life they once knew is over. Now Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones must come to grips with the very adult decision that they must make. It's a situation that holds more possibilities and challenges than they ever bargained for. It could bring them closer-or drive them apart. And as the baby grows and changes, so will they.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
14 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Ann Head
9 books10 followersWriter Ann Head, the pen name of Anne Wales Christensen Head Morse (1915–1968), was the granddaughter of AbbieHolmes Christensen, who came to Beaufort during the Civil War to educate the recently freed enslaved populations of the sea islands. Moving back and forth between Boston and Beaufort, Ann carried on the family tradition of bucking traditions and creating new literary forms.
Ann published dozens of short stories and serials in the major national magazines of her day, with many of her stories set in a small town just like Beaufort. She wrote of divorce, snobbery, affairs both emotional and sexual, prejudice, death, and out-of-wedlock childbirth, championing the nontypical heroines of the ladies magazines that eagerly accepted her work. In addition, she authored four novels which were published internationally, most notably Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones, a compelling story of teen pregnancy which was later adapted for film starring Desi Arnez Jr. and is credited with helping create the Young Adult genre.
Ann was also Pat Conroy’s first creative writing teacher at Beaufort High School and she became a central figure in Beaufort’s literary scene, befriending many of the famous authors who wintered here, including Samuel Hopkins Adams (whom she considered her mentor), Somerset Maugham, John Marquand, and Katherine and E. B. White.
In conservative Beaufort, Ann championed civil rights and other liberal causes, and was a doyenne of local society, celebrated for her sophistication and literary achievement. She managed to successfully raise an out-of-wedlock child, eventually marrying the child’s father, all the while staying respected and revered in small-town society. Ann died suddenly at the age of 52, cutting short a vibrant life and promising literary career.
Ann published dozens of short stories and serials in the major national magazines of her day, with many of her stories set in a small town just like Beaufort. She wrote of divorce, snobbery, affairs both emotional and sexual, prejudice, death, and out-of-wedlock childbirth, championing the nontypical heroines of the ladies magazines that eagerly accepted her work. In addition, she authored four novels which were published internationally, most notably Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones, a compelling story of teen pregnancy which was later adapted for film starring Desi Arnez Jr. and is credited with helping create the Young Adult genre.
Ann was also Pat Conroy’s first creative writing teacher at Beaufort High School and she became a central figure in Beaufort’s literary scene, befriending many of the famous authors who wintered here, including Samuel Hopkins Adams (whom she considered her mentor), Somerset Maugham, John Marquand, and Katherine and E. B. White.
In conservative Beaufort, Ann championed civil rights and other liberal causes, and was a doyenne of local society, celebrated for her sophistication and literary achievement. She managed to successfully raise an out-of-wedlock child, eventually marrying the child’s father, all the while staying respected and revered in small-town society. Ann died suddenly at the age of 52, cutting short a vibrant life and promising literary career.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
June 28, 2009
Mr. & Mrs. Bo Jo Jones, by Ann Head, is a book I first read in High School. I remember adoring the book and its characters, so I was happy to find a copy of the book and dive into it again years later. I loved it back then when I first read it, and I loved it just as much now. This book was written back in the late 1960’s and IMHO, it stands the test of time. The book is different from today’s standards in certain ways. You don’t have intricate plot twists, varying themes throughout the story, complex characters you’re trying to decipher for the majority of the novel, or narrative creativity. This book has characters that are consistent and easy to fall for, and it’s a simple read that captures you from beginning to end.
Mr. & Mrs. Bo Jo Jones is about two high school seniors, July and Bo Jo, who find themselves pregnant and in a situation that will change the rest of their lives. As a young couple, they do the best they can to take responsibility over their circumstance and build a life for themselves and their baby who’s on his way. Their relationship goes through its fair share of trials and tribulations, but at the end of the day, you have two young people who find themselves confused, hurt by certain circumstances, but most definitely committed to each other.
This is such a great read IMO. But be warned, it doesn’t read like today’s novels. The story is simple, the characters are easy to understand, however, the theme is one that holds true now just as much as it did back then. Now that I have my copy, this book will find itself on the re-read shelf.
Mr. & Mrs. Bo Jo Jones is about two high school seniors, July and Bo Jo, who find themselves pregnant and in a situation that will change the rest of their lives. As a young couple, they do the best they can to take responsibility over their circumstance and build a life for themselves and their baby who’s on his way. Their relationship goes through its fair share of trials and tribulations, but at the end of the day, you have two young people who find themselves confused, hurt by certain circumstances, but most definitely committed to each other.
This is such a great read IMO. But be warned, it doesn’t read like today’s novels. The story is simple, the characters are easy to understand, however, the theme is one that holds true now just as much as it did back then. Now that I have my copy, this book will find itself on the re-read shelf.
January 23, 2020
Girls eagerly passed this book from hand to hand in the early 1970’s as the first wave of out-in-open teen pregnancies broke around us. I read it then.
February 3, 2011
I remember reading this when I was sixteen in the bathroom with the light on so I wouldn't disturb the rest of the house. I read it in one sitting for about two hours. Loved it. I loved how Bo Jo and July start out as two kids who like each other to two kids who had to get married. It seemed so real and I truly had to buy a couple of copies of this book because I'd read it so much that the pages started falling apart.
One I'd definitely recommend to read.
One I'd definitely recommend to read.
July 12, 2009
This is a beautiful story about a young couple in the late nineteen-sixties and what happens when they are faced with an unexpected pregnancy. The story is told through the eyes of July, the sixteen year-old girlfriend of Bo Jo.
THe slang is different than today's language but I quickly got used to that and enjoyed July's voice. I liked the stories of July's friends and the choices they made regardiing premarital sex and pregnancy so that the book showed various options that could have happened.
Their family's reactions to the situatoin and both being antagonistic toward the other, each family blaming the other's child, was realistic I thought for the characters and the time frame.
There is real struggle and sadness in the choices they make. You will find yourself hoping they make it all work out.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well-developed story about the true meaning of love and family and commitment.
THe slang is different than today's language but I quickly got used to that and enjoyed July's voice. I liked the stories of July's friends and the choices they made regardiing premarital sex and pregnancy so that the book showed various options that could have happened.
Their family's reactions to the situatoin and both being antagonistic toward the other, each family blaming the other's child, was realistic I thought for the characters and the time frame.
There is real struggle and sadness in the choices they make. You will find yourself hoping they make it all work out.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well-developed story about the true meaning of love and family and commitment.
November 24, 2021
So dated, earnest, and cliched that I can't give it a higher rating, but in some ways I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I *totally* believed in the characters; I felt like I actually knew the kids.
And I really like Grandmother Greher. I'm glad I read the book if only to learn her take on the value of having an open mind: "I am not interested in opinions. Opinions are the children of a closed mind. It's ideas that make life interesting and exciting."
I've some comments in the progress notes, and I also want to add that I found it interesting that when this was written, as published in 1967, the word 'gay' was commonly used and simply meant cheerful.
I also noticed that Head wasn't happy just teaching us about teen pregnancies, but she also had things to express about spousal abuse, drinking, smoking, and even the rights of migrant workers.
I don't know whether to hope I can find more by Head or not. but I am glad that I read this.
And I really like Grandmother Greher. I'm glad I read the book if only to learn her take on the value of having an open mind: "I am not interested in opinions. Opinions are the children of a closed mind. It's ideas that make life interesting and exciting."
I've some comments in the progress notes, and I also want to add that I found it interesting that when this was written, as published in 1967, the word 'gay' was commonly used and simply meant cheerful.
I also noticed that Head wasn't happy just teaching us about teen pregnancies, but she also had things to express about spousal abuse, drinking, smoking, and even the rights of migrant workers.
I don't know whether to hope I can find more by Head or not. but I am glad that I read this.
February 3, 2024
What a trip! A trip in the WayBack Machine. Back to 1967, the Leave It To Beaver years, the My Three Sons decade. So different. These teen characters seem a bit more mature than most teens today, I'm not sure since I never had kids. I know some teens, but not well enough to really understand them, I just know it's hard. My high school years were in the late 70s. I remember a few pregnant students. Rules were starting to loosen up a lot more, but the anxieties of youth have gotten much worse. I guess what I'm trying to say is, that Mr. and Mrs. BoJo Jones were pretty lucky. Their grandkids, not so much.
January 12, 2010
I had a problem with the premise of this book, that July and Bo Jo feel the need to get married. When it happened, I figured that it was the expectation of their times and society, that they’d be shunned if they didn’t, but when they started telling people, everyone was shocked and upset. July’s parents want an annulment even after they know about the pregnancy, and everyone’s families are devastated by the idea that these two kids have thrown away their futures. Still, July and Bo Jo fiercely defend the marriage, refusing even to compromise it by sleeping in separate houses and acting horrified when anyone suggests that their relationship might be temporary.
I can accept July’s decision to “keep” the baby in the sense of not having an abortion, but not in the sense of “keep it and raise it and marry the father even though we don’t know each other that well.” It is, as my dad said when I told him about the book, very Thomas Hardy. A sexual act - or a pregnancy - does not a smart lifelong commitment make. July displays only the vaguest religious tendencies, so I don’t see that as a reason for being bent on marriage. Besides which, I’m always frustrated by teens/teen characters who decide to keep and raise the results of their accidental pregnancies. If July can’t do any better than get pregnant at sixteen and sentence herself to a life of live-in arguing with a boy she’s not even in love with, what kind of life does she think she’ll be able to give a child?
Probably what made the book get under my skin the most was how much July’s intellectual, loving family reminded me of my own parents and brother. Their hurt and confusion was terrible to read about. In fact, the only time this book didn’t make me feel trapped and depressed was whenever I put it down and reminded myself that, at twenty-three, I am incapable of ever making a mistake that could cause me to have a teen pregnancy - or a teen marriage, which is what the book is really about.
This book definitely has power. The first-person narration and lack of chapter breaks gives it a feeling of relentlessness and of being trapped. This meshes perfectly with July’s feelings of powerlessness. July’s claims that she and Bo Jo are not part of the “fast crowd,” and her relatively sophisticated interests may make readers more likely to relate to her, less likely to dismiss her as “one of those girls” and not relevant to themselves.
The book does have more than a hint of cautionary tale about it, but it is interesting that the story focuses on teen marriage rather than teen pregnancy. The book spends much more time on the boredom of a new bride stuck alone at home than on the scandal of a baby conceived out of wedlock. The pregnancy is, of course, important, as it is the reason for the marriage, but what really reaches readers here is not the fear, shame, or wonder of new parents - mostly skimmed over - but the guilt, awkwardness, and frustration of teenagers trying to function as adults. Their interactions with their families, former close friends, and each other give the book its real emotional content.
I can accept July’s decision to “keep” the baby in the sense of not having an abortion, but not in the sense of “keep it and raise it and marry the father even though we don’t know each other that well.” It is, as my dad said when I told him about the book, very Thomas Hardy. A sexual act - or a pregnancy - does not a smart lifelong commitment make. July displays only the vaguest religious tendencies, so I don’t see that as a reason for being bent on marriage. Besides which, I’m always frustrated by teens/teen characters who decide to keep and raise the results of their accidental pregnancies. If July can’t do any better than get pregnant at sixteen and sentence herself to a life of live-in arguing with a boy she’s not even in love with, what kind of life does she think she’ll be able to give a child?
Probably what made the book get under my skin the most was how much July’s intellectual, loving family reminded me of my own parents and brother. Their hurt and confusion was terrible to read about. In fact, the only time this book didn’t make me feel trapped and depressed was whenever I put it down and reminded myself that, at twenty-three, I am incapable of ever making a mistake that could cause me to have a teen pregnancy - or a teen marriage, which is what the book is really about.
This book definitely has power. The first-person narration and lack of chapter breaks gives it a feeling of relentlessness and of being trapped. This meshes perfectly with July’s feelings of powerlessness. July’s claims that she and Bo Jo are not part of the “fast crowd,” and her relatively sophisticated interests may make readers more likely to relate to her, less likely to dismiss her as “one of those girls” and not relevant to themselves.
The book does have more than a hint of cautionary tale about it, but it is interesting that the story focuses on teen marriage rather than teen pregnancy. The book spends much more time on the boredom of a new bride stuck alone at home than on the scandal of a baby conceived out of wedlock. The pregnancy is, of course, important, as it is the reason for the marriage, but what really reaches readers here is not the fear, shame, or wonder of new parents - mostly skimmed over - but the guilt, awkwardness, and frustration of teenagers trying to function as adults. Their interactions with their families, former close friends, and each other give the book its real emotional content.
March 10, 2011
This was a lovely novel in the 1960's which really depicted a teenage romance and the love that they had for one another. When July becomes pregnant after her prom night, Bo Jo and her have many decisions to make. It's sad how both of the families turn against each other and blame the other person for what is going on instead of looking at the big picture and trying to figure out what to do about the baby. The book really touched upon the many different things that can happen during pregnancy and the options that these young girls believe that they have. It's a sad story when the baby dies 2 days later and then the real question of love becomes the decision that they have to make. I loved this book because it was really realistic and made you what you would do if you were ever in that position where parents didn't support you in something that you really needed support with. It's a big eye opener and i really loved the maturity level that it leaves you with at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2015
I just got done reading “Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones.” This book was a good book to read. The book was about two young teenagers who were in love. They did something that should have waited until they were married. They covered it up by getting married and not telling their parents. They told their parents a few days later. BoJo was kicked out of his home. July’s parents tried doing the right thing. They went to a church and got officially married. They were doing good and BoJo had gotten a job. They moved into an apartment that July’s parents had bought for them. BoJo and his parents talked things over and were all good. July and BoJo both dropped out of high school. They lost a couple of friends, but they made new ones. Nine months later July has the baby. They get to see it and its small. It has tiny hands and feet. A couple of days later the baby dies. BoJo is upset and crying. July is quiet and is in shock. After all of this BoJo and July still stay together and are married. They grow old and happy.
There are many characters in the book. July is one of them. She is 16 and is a Junior in High School. There is BoJo and he is a Senior. He is 17 and a star on the football team. There are July’s parents. They both are in their late 30’s early 40’s. There is July’s brother and sister. They are both ages between 10 and 14. There is BoJo’s parents. They are not in the book much. Then there is July’s grandma Greher. She is in her 70’s.
The setting of the book takes place in Trilby High School. There are some places where it also takes place in a small coffee shop called “Coffee Pot.” It is summertime and then turns into school time.
I would recommend this book to all ages. It shows the struggles of teenagers. It is a good book and very interesting. I think the author is trying to bring a message of wait until marriage before you fool around. Anything can happen if you don’t and you can regret it.
There are many characters in the book. July is one of them. She is 16 and is a Junior in High School. There is BoJo and he is a Senior. He is 17 and a star on the football team. There are July’s parents. They both are in their late 30’s early 40’s. There is July’s brother and sister. They are both ages between 10 and 14. There is BoJo’s parents. They are not in the book much. Then there is July’s grandma Greher. She is in her 70’s.
The setting of the book takes place in Trilby High School. There are some places where it also takes place in a small coffee shop called “Coffee Pot.” It is summertime and then turns into school time.
I would recommend this book to all ages. It shows the struggles of teenagers. It is a good book and very interesting. I think the author is trying to bring a message of wait until marriage before you fool around. Anything can happen if you don’t and you can regret it.
July 3, 2010
July is a very young girl who makes one mistakes with a guy that she really likes. A few weeks later when she realizes that she is pregnant, she gets married and drops out of high school. She moves out on her own and quickly becomes isolated in this new role as house wife. She struggles with loneliness and with getting along with her husband, Bo Jo. She makes a friend who is also young and married, but she too leaves. Then something tragic happens and the baby dies. July and Bo Jo will either come together in love or will be separate forever.
I really loved this book. I connected with July and her situation in so many ways. Like July, I am fairly young and married. I have been separated from all of my friends because of this sudden gap in maturity and relationship status. This is something that July also struggles greatly with. I am surprise with how well Ann Head described the struggles and you can really see both July and Bo Jo grow throughout the book and I love that. To me July just seemed like are real character and I enjoyed reading from her point of view. I also really liked the ending of the book. Most chick books end with the girl getting the guy and there being a happily ever after. I just about cried when the baby died and Bo Jo and July decided to get a divorce. Yes they argued a lot, but I liked them together. Then, after a week (and several pages of July moping, that I think was actually necessary) Bo Jo decided to stay together. July in the prologue, which skips three years, says that times have been hard but she is happy with the way things turned out and that she would not change a thing.
I really loved this book. I connected with July and her situation in so many ways. Like July, I am fairly young and married. I have been separated from all of my friends because of this sudden gap in maturity and relationship status. This is something that July also struggles greatly with. I am surprise with how well Ann Head described the struggles and you can really see both July and Bo Jo grow throughout the book and I love that. To me July just seemed like are real character and I enjoyed reading from her point of view. I also really liked the ending of the book. Most chick books end with the girl getting the guy and there being a happily ever after. I just about cried when the baby died and Bo Jo and July decided to get a divorce. Yes they argued a lot, but I liked them together. Then, after a week (and several pages of July moping, that I think was actually necessary) Bo Jo decided to stay together. July in the prologue, which skips three years, says that times have been hard but she is happy with the way things turned out and that she would not change a thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2015
This is a great teen read. I first read it years ago and found my old paperback while cleaning out the garage and decided to re-read it to see if it stood up over the test of time. It did fairly well, but I discovered one thing that I hadn't noticed before: the author overlapped time periods in this book. Since the dates aren't given as it is taking place in a certain decade, the fact that it was published in 1967 leads the reader to believe that 1967 is when the story takes place. There are too many contradictions to that though in the content. References to icebox versus refrigerator, listening to Sinatra and Bobby Darin--all 1950-ish stuff. But then later, there's a reference to watching a popular television show, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., which was clearly a show from the mid to late 1960's. Bo Jo is described as having short, stubby hair which again would be more from the 1950's and not late 60's when hippies were the main theme. So, my only complaint is that the book should've reflected whatever actual time frame it was supposed to in the story. I also think it lacked descriptiveness of the characters. I couldn't really picture was July looked like--or Bo Jo for that matter. I pictured him as looking like Dezi Arnaz Jr since that's who played Bo Jo in the move.
March 8, 2010
Really, I think this is a great book for high schoolers to read. The book details the shotgun wedding of 16-yea-old July Gehrer and 17-year-old football star Bo Jo Jones. Bo Jo has to give up his dreams of college and a football scholarship to support his new young wife, July. The marriage is at first rocky, and fight-filled, but in time the couple begin to develop mature love for one another. Neither of their families are supportive, and sometimes blatantly, but always surreptitiously, hope for the failure of their marriage. When the baby is born prematurely and dies just two days later, they are at a crisis: their marriage was based on the conception of this child, and now that the child is gone, should they remain married? Their parents, and eventually July and Bo Jo, decide that divorce is the best option and that they should continue on as if nothing had ever happened. Thankfully, in the last two pages of the book, Bo Jo and July have a serious conversation where they realize they do love eachother, and that the are willing to make it work even while they finish high school and go to college.
March 29, 2019
When high school students Bo Jo and July find themselves expecting a baby, they decide to 'do the right thing' and get married, much to the disappointment of their parents.
Read
January 10, 2013Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones (208 pages) is a classic, realistic fiction novel by Ann Head. Set in the mid 1900’s, the plot revolves around July and Bo Jo, a teenage couple who unexpectedly become pregnant. Because of the expectations and pressure of their society, they quickly get married. July is a girl from an upper class family who believes it would be wrong to illegally terminate the pregnancy, so she is prepared to raise her child with her less privileged boyfriend, Boswell Jones. When one of her friends gets pregnant and decides to have an abortion, July is conflicted over her choice and her future life with her close-minded husband. When their baby died from complications, the newly married couple's parents think that life will go back to "normal" now, but the couple don't agree with ending their marriage. Through the course of the novel, they fall more in love and get used to being a married couple. Ann Head wrote the novel from July’s point of view. The writing style gave you an insight into how people behaved during that time and what the norms of society were in the 50’s. I found it interesting to read a novel like this because I learned about how some parent-child relationships were like. I could also sense the time period through the way the women behaved around the men during the 1950’s. What I didn’t like about the novel was how the plot jumped from one event to another within one sentence. I just didn’t feel that it flowed between events and that was the only thing that I didn’t like about the novel. I overall enjoyed the novel, Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones because of the controversial topic in this setting.
October 17, 2011
Dear, Reader
In the book i am reading now called Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones there is a lot going on with Bo Jo and July for example right now July is pregnant and her and Bo Jo don't know what to do at this point because they know how there parents are going to react for example Bo Jo parents are going to be very disappointed in him because they expect him to be something big in life and they want him to succeed in the things he wants to do they want him to go to college and study and July's parents want her to do the same because they come from a well known family from a town that if something happens everyone is going to know and July knows that's going to bother her parents.
I think that going to live in Bo Jo's house is a bad idea because Bo Jo's parents are not happy about her being pregnant even thought they are willing to let them in and live with them but July's parents told her she can live with them and honestly i think that's a better idea because they will have more support and help with all the things that are going to happen but at the same time i understand why July doesn't want to live there because she feels like there controlling her and there going to tell her to do things that she doesn't want to do and i think that if she moves in with Bo Jo shes probably going to drop out of school to have the baby and not go back and if shes living with her parent i feel like there's more of a chance that's she will stay in school and keep on going with her future because she has her parents help.
In the book i am reading now called Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones there is a lot going on with Bo Jo and July for example right now July is pregnant and her and Bo Jo don't know what to do at this point because they know how there parents are going to react for example Bo Jo parents are going to be very disappointed in him because they expect him to be something big in life and they want him to succeed in the things he wants to do they want him to go to college and study and July's parents want her to do the same because they come from a well known family from a town that if something happens everyone is going to know and July knows that's going to bother her parents.
I think that going to live in Bo Jo's house is a bad idea because Bo Jo's parents are not happy about her being pregnant even thought they are willing to let them in and live with them but July's parents told her she can live with them and honestly i think that's a better idea because they will have more support and help with all the things that are going to happen but at the same time i understand why July doesn't want to live there because she feels like there controlling her and there going to tell her to do things that she doesn't want to do and i think that if she moves in with Bo Jo shes probably going to drop out of school to have the baby and not go back and if shes living with her parent i feel like there's more of a chance that's she will stay in school and keep on going with her future because she has her parents help.
March 10, 2011
This is a story about teens who think they take life serious and know what they need to do in order to succeed in life, but when it comes to holding themselves back from immediate pleasure; they find themselves trapped in a predicament no one wanted. July's pregnancy changes everything, Bo Jo has to drop out of high school, dreams of college scholarships are out, their parents find this as another reason why they can't make their own decisions and treat them as kids even more. But together they make it work, they mature and grow together and find that perhaps being thrown with this predicament, they can still make each other happy and live happily. But is it enough to make them happy, or do they owe more to the parents that gave them life?
I loved this book because it dealt with the issue of sex before marriage with all the consequences, but also with the blessings. They will regret what they did forever but they made it work and found love they didn't think was there. There are too many negative takes on all the bad consequences of having sex before marriage, but this novel published in the 60's proves that you make a blessing out of your mistakes. Life is no crystal stair, but we can keep going strong and climb higher.
I loved this book because it dealt with the issue of sex before marriage with all the consequences, but also with the blessings. They will regret what they did forever but they made it work and found love they didn't think was there. There are too many negative takes on all the bad consequences of having sex before marriage, but this novel published in the 60's proves that you make a blessing out of your mistakes. Life is no crystal stair, but we can keep going strong and climb higher.
January 15, 2012
I'm surprised at how much I really really liked this book. As I said in my status update, it reads a bit like an episode of "16 and Pregnant." All the same emotions (on the part of the viewer/reader) are there, hope for the kids and their baby, sorrow for the parents' and their own crushed hope, frustration that the parents won't listen to the kids and that the kids are too young to communicate maturely. July and Bo Jo are both so sweet and trying their hardest to be grown up it just about breaks your heart.
I like how the blurb on my book put it: "Out of a situation achingly familiar in countless American homes, Ann Head has wrought a strong and beautiful novel of the growth and meaning of love. For despite all the things that are working against them, July and Bo Jo respect each other and share a fierce pride and stubbornness that will not let them give in."
Also, I loved the late-60's slang. Every other page someone's saying "oh lordy" or "don't worry kid" or "he just didn't dig the furtive nuances" or "holy stubbed-tail cats!" While some teens may find that kind of dated language hard to relate to, I found it charming. And I thought that July's honest narrative voice and the simple, true emotions of the story shine through.
I like how the blurb on my book put it: "Out of a situation achingly familiar in countless American homes, Ann Head has wrought a strong and beautiful novel of the growth and meaning of love. For despite all the things that are working against them, July and Bo Jo respect each other and share a fierce pride and stubbornness that will not let them give in."
Also, I loved the late-60's slang. Every other page someone's saying "oh lordy" or "don't worry kid" or "he just didn't dig the furtive nuances" or "holy stubbed-tail cats!" While some teens may find that kind of dated language hard to relate to, I found it charming. And I thought that July's honest narrative voice and the simple, true emotions of the story shine through.
July 2, 2016
July Jones is just a regular 16 year old girl with a Boyfriend named Bo Jo (Boswell Johnson). As any other girl July is the jealous type when it comes to Bo Jo's old flame hanging around. That's when it happens, she goes to far and gets pregnant. The whole book is about them trying to take responsibility--doing the only thing they think possible which is to get married. Their parents oddly enough oppose the whole way through until they find out there is no going back.
It's a great book and you should read it. Even for the sixties it still feels relatable (except probably that most couples wouldn't get married now). Regardless it is a very well written compelling. And highly emotional at times. I think the serious nature was handled very appropriately. It is not a rose colored story of two high school kids getting married. It is a story of realistic struggles, aggitation, and love.
It's a great book and you should read it. Even for the sixties it still feels relatable (except probably that most couples wouldn't get married now). Regardless it is a very well written compelling. And highly emotional at times. I think the serious nature was handled very appropriately. It is not a rose colored story of two high school kids getting married. It is a story of realistic struggles, aggitation, and love.
April 19, 2019
I'd actually like to read this again. Read it in childhood and it was a pretty realistic and interesting story. The cover art is a bit corny but it was printed a long time ago.
Will reread and post a more in depth review.
Will reread and post a more in depth review.
January 24, 2024
I remember reading this in high school &$ years ago. It made me cry then- and it made me cry again today. Does love make it all work out? When do we grow to be old enough to make decisions for our own futures? May be out of print- but available on archive.org Read it!
July 6, 2013
I read this in high school. I remember it fondly.
January 20, 2019
A touching drama turned romance. At first a bit vague in details in the beginning, the story expands and makes the reader experience the emotions that come from the trials and tribulations of Bo Jo and July being married at a young age. The book begins with a feeling of dread and saying to yourself "Man, if it was current day and not 1960-something" but ends with hope and wishing to fall in love too.
June 30, 2018
I first read this book as a teen and when I saw it in a thrift store, I had to buy it. This book is a slice of life from the 60’s. 2 kids go to a Prom and end up pregnant. They are from different social classes, he is from a blue collar working class family and she is from a wealthier family. Neither seems to know the other that well but are earnest to do the right thing for their baby. This book shows how lonely both kids are in the marriage. Both are forced to quit school and while Bo Jo works at his Father in laws bank, July is forced in the role as a housewife staying at home alone. Luckily today we have resources to help these kids stay in school. My favorite character was July’s grandmother an old fashioned wealthy matriarch who actually gets to know the couple and gives them the best advice. This is a novel from another time, but still rings true today. Both families are hurt because of the future both kids have changed. No football scholarship or sorority for their offspring. There is drama with the kids’ friends, but in the end the quiet affection and growing love between the kids wins. I remember this was made into a made for TV movie. Now I need to find that too.
June 23, 2010
After someone spikes the champagne prom night, Bo Jo and July end up pregnant. They get married, break the news to their parents, and try to live together, as they come to realize they really don't know each other. And while they thought they loved each other, they didn't know what real love was. Yet.
I can still why this book caused such a stir when it was published back in 1968. It was really thought-provoking and I wondered if it would be a good book to assign teens to read, because it could scare them out of making decisions like July and Bo Jo did. But then the book also shows hope, and so I think people can take from it what they want. I thought it was interesting. It was a little harder to read, though, with no numbered chapters. I would recommend it to anyone interested in groundbreaking YA Lit.
I can still why this book caused such a stir when it was published back in 1968. It was really thought-provoking and I wondered if it would be a good book to assign teens to read, because it could scare them out of making decisions like July and Bo Jo did. But then the book also shows hope, and so I think people can take from it what they want. I thought it was interesting. It was a little harder to read, though, with no numbered chapters. I would recommend it to anyone interested in groundbreaking YA Lit.
April 7, 2011
Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones is a story of Bo Jo, big star football player, and July, his highschool sweetheart. When Bo Jo and July find out she's pregnant they are pretty shocked and July is ashamed since she always looked down on the girls that did things with boys like that. So they decide to go get married, since they really have no other options (back in the day and all). As they learn the ups and downs of marriage and parenthood they are forced to lose a lot of friends and their entire social life.
A story of teen pregnancy at a time that it was a bit more looked down upon and scandalous instead of watched on TV like it's awesome. July tells the story of her experience and has a lot to say! This book is cute and very descriptive. A lot more to it than I was expecting and it was very refreshing to read an older view on teen pregnancy.
A story of teen pregnancy at a time that it was a bit more looked down upon and scandalous instead of watched on TV like it's awesome. July tells the story of her experience and has a lot to say! This book is cute and very descriptive. A lot more to it than I was expecting and it was very refreshing to read an older view on teen pregnancy.
July 18, 2013
Bo Jo Jones, the football star of his high school, and his girlfriend July don't anticipate the consequences of prom night. July finds that she's pregnant, and she and Bo Jo have to deal with the difficulties that come from protecting their reputations, friendships, and families. Will the love they had flourish in the midst of their hardship, or succumb to it?
I found this book very realistically told, and heartwarming. But too much of it was depressing to me! I like feel-good books, which is why I appreciated the ending of this one. I suppose all of the fighting and conflict made the ending all the sweeter, but the entire middle-part of the book was a downer and I tried to rush through it. It was, however, well-written. I don't know that I'd recommend it to just any young adult, as I feel only the more mature ones would appreciate the message sent.
I found this book very realistically told, and heartwarming. But too much of it was depressing to me! I like feel-good books, which is why I appreciated the ending of this one. I suppose all of the fighting and conflict made the ending all the sweeter, but the entire middle-part of the book was a downer and I tried to rush through it. It was, however, well-written. I don't know that I'd recommend it to just any young adult, as I feel only the more mature ones would appreciate the message sent.
February 2, 2011
This is the story of what happens when prom night doesn't turn out exactly as planned. Real life means that sometimes when you "go to far" you get pregnant. What happens then? When you are only 16 and you have a baby on the way? Well, you get married. Turns out there are a lot things that nobody really prepares you for when you are sixteen. Like what do you do all day when your "husband" is at work, and you have no homework because, well, you can't go to school if you are pregnant.
This is a very realistic story of some of the struggles of a pair of kids that got pregnant in high school and how they had to deal with their consequences. It is a very sweet story of growing up and learning to love.
This is a very realistic story of some of the struggles of a pair of kids that got pregnant in high school and how they had to deal with their consequences. It is a very sweet story of growing up and learning to love.
July 12, 2011
Simply state Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones concerns a teenaged couple in trouble. Head presents the emotions, feelings, and concerns of this couple from their point of view, not their parents who are suffering from the hurt inflicted upon them, nor from that of society, which is already prepared to pass judgment. The main characters are very well developed. Both go through a forced growing up period that is adequately portrayed. Head has taken a serious problem and handled it very beautiful and tastefully.
(I read this novel in the 70s when I was taking an adolescent lit. class. The critique came from one I did for the class.)
(I read this novel in the 70s when I was taking an adolescent lit. class. The critique came from one I did for the class.)
July 6, 2009
This is Dated with a major capital-D. So much so that I have trouble imagining a 21st-century teenager actually reading it. About two teenagers in 1967 who *have* to get married, and the trials and tribulations thereof. Actually quite well-written with good characters and narrative voice, but the assumptions therein get pretty painful. How did anyone ever think that forcing kids to get married and drop out of school and all that would be good for *anyone*? Still, I kinda liked the ending......
[for school, a la "classic YA novel":]
[for school, a la "classic YA novel":]
September 3, 2009
This book was written in the 60’s, but retains its timeliness. Set in the 50’s, the book tells the story of teens (16 and 17 years old) caught in the eternal trap--the girl is pregnant, and they “have to” get married. The consequences of their actions reverberate through their families, which are totally dissimilar, and totally change their lives and aspirations. Their very human reactions to all of the problems involved make the novel very real for most readers. Positive. Well worth reading for most girls and some guys.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews