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Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen

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Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen by Alix Kates Shulman

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By Alix Kates Shulman

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OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD

The cult classic that defined a generation – first UK publication in 47 years

‘An extraordinary novel … women will like it and men should read it for the good of their immortal souls’ Los Angeles Times

Sasha Davis has everything a girl in 1950s suburbia could want: beauty, intelligence and an all-star sports captain boyfriend. All she needs to succeed is to keep her skin clear and her intelligence hidden under her Prom Queen tiara.

But when she drops out of college to marry, Sasha soon realises her life has become a fearful countdown to her thirtieth birthday – the year when her beauty will have faded, and life as she knows it will end. As Sasha rebels against her fate, she finds herself experiencing an intellectual and sexual awakening that might be her only chance of outrunning the aging process.

First published in 1972, Alix Kates Shulman’s landmark novel follows Sasha’s coming of age through the sexual double standards, job discrimination and harassment of the 1950s and 60s. Five decades later, it remains a funny and heartbreaking story of a young woman in a man’s world.

Reviews

29 Apr 2021

Macclesfield Library Reading Group

Thank you to the Reading Agency and Profile Books for providing Macclesfield Library Reading Group with copies of Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen by Alix Kates Shulman. A selection of thoughts from some of our group members - "Very well written. Sadly, I think this book could have been written in today’s time – it’s just as relevant today. The main character was a mixed bag of contradictions!" "A coming-of-age book, a journey through puberty. I was excited to start the story but was disappointed by the flow of it. I am cross with the main character as she lets herself down and...

Thank you to the Reading Agency and Profile Books for providing Macclesfield Library Reading Group with copies of Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen by Alix Kates Shulman.

A selection of thoughts from some of our group members -

"Very well written. Sadly, I think this book could have been written in today’s time – it’s just as relevant today. The main character was a mixed bag of contradictions!"

"A coming-of-age book, a journey through puberty. I was excited to start the story but was disappointed by the flow of it. I am cross with the main character as she lets herself down and womanhood in general."

"I found it boring – cannot understand why it is being republished."

"It was well written and held my interest. Thought that her opinions were probably typical of the time."

"A very enjoyable writing style with some honest accounts of her life. Some embarrassing and difficult situations and ultimately it describes a young woman who is never totally happy in her own skin. A good read."

"Loved it! I loved her sharp, witty writing style."

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