A New Yorker by birth, Rebecca Coleman grew up in the close suburbs of Washington, D.C., in an academic family. A year spent in Germany, at the age of eight, would later provide the basis for the protagonist's background in The Kingdom of Childhood. She first learned about the Waldorf School movement at age 14 and quickly developed a fascination with its culture and philosophies. After studying elementary education for several years at the University of Maryland, she graduated with a degree in English, awarded with honors.Recently I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:
I just finished reading Everything Happens Today by Jesse Browner, and I must accompany this with a confession: I picked it up because it got a starred review in the issue of Shelf Awareness where my book received high praise but no star. I mused, "hmm, what's he got that I don't?" so I read the book and thought, "oh, this." It's kind of an updated variation on The Catcher in the Rye,Visit Rebecca Coleman's website and blog.with a protagonist, Wes, who is so well-meaning and snarky and heartfelt and conflicted, all at once. Each of the characters is wonderfully evoked, flawed and lovable and three-dimensional. By the end I was counting on Browner to get me out of this novel in one piece emotionally. That's how you know a book was worth the money.
Right now I'm reading The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. Nothing speaks to me quite like a story about family members who can't communicate like normal human beings. And it's got English-geek cred, too, with all the Shakespeare references. I can't wait for the weekend so I can curl up with it.
The Page 69 Test: The Kingdom of Childhood.
--Marshal Zeringue
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