West Side Girl
![Book Cover](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0071/1406/3931/files/westsidegirl.jpg?10487)
GENRE
MEMOIR COMING OF AGE
Core Theme
GROWING UP IN A DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOOD, UNDER EVER-CHANGING VALUES
TIME PERIOD
Contemporary
COMPARABLE TITLES
ANGELA’S ASHES, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, BOYHOOD, BROOKLYN
CHARACTER LIST
• ANITA: 7 TO ADULTHOOD. OLDEST OF FOUR CHILDREN. OUTGOING, HIGH-ACHIEVING, PROTECTIVE, WITTY.
• HELEN: 34. ANITA’S MOTHER AND MENTOR. OUTSPOKEN, RELIGIOUS, BEAUTIFUL, CONFIDENT, HEROIC, HONORABLE
• BARB: 5 TO ADULTHOOD. ANITA’S SISTER AND PARTNER IN CRIME.
Logline
West Side Girl is told from the perspective of the author's younger self. The essays chronicle the author's adventures growing up on Chicago's West Side in the 50's and 60's.
Target Audiences
Age: 55+
Target Gender: Female leaning
Setting
Chicago's West Side
Based on a True Story
Yes
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Year Published: 2018
Starting Description
The author grew up in an apartment over her family's Bohemian restaurant. The author and her friends, a ragtag group of migrant and immigrant children, come of age on Chicago's streets in her working class neighborhood.
Ending Description
The author, the first girl to run for class president, loses the election but inspires future generations of girls to run and to win.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
No
ISBN
Information not completed
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message, Coming of Age
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain
Main Character Details
Name: Anita
Age: 13
Gender: Female
Role: Mentor
Key Traits: Outspoken, Funny, Engaging, Adventurous, Aspiring, Confident, Leader
Additional Character Details
Name: Helen
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Role: Mentor
Key Traits: Outspoken, Religious, Beautiful, Complex, Confident, Heroic, Honorable
Additional Character Details
Name: Barb
Age: 11
Gender: Female
Role: Sidekick
Key Traits: Beautiful
Additional Character Details
Name: Aidan
Age: 2
Gender: Male
Role: Sidekick
Key Traits: Adventurous
Brief
Growing up at Chicago's West Side in the late '50s and early '60s provides endless adventures for Anita, the oldest sister of four, and her gang of neighborhood friends. The charming perspective of the author herself as she tells her true coming of age stories with a lot of heart and innocence, on the brink of feminism and the civil rights movement.
What We Liked
This nostalgic “slice of life” look at growing up in America during a simpler time is universally relatable. The hopeful and uncertain time following President Kennedy's election and the innocence of the childhood portrayed in the series of stories exudes heart and charm. The stories are told from the point of view from the oldest child in a family of six. Each little vignette is its own micro story and offers insight into the life and times of the character. Given the episodic nature of the book, it would make an easy adaptation into a television series. It offers a sweet and simple glimpse of one woman's experiences growing up in America's midwest during a specific time in the history of the country. Being a fly on the wall during these sometimes mundane and sometimes profound experiences in a character's life is impactful and appealing to an audience, creates empathy, and will keep them coming back for more episodes.
Key points:
The stories are relatable and universal; using the perspective of the lead character as an adult is interesting; the setting in the time before and after the election of President Kennedy captures the particular essence of the country at a specific time in history; the relationship between the sisters is sweet and there is potential for strong acting choices; in using a strong female voice, inspiration can be drawn from some of the experiences detailed in the stories.
Synopsis
Anita Solick lives in an ethnically diverse, Catholic neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. She is the oldest child of Helen and Jack, a loving couple who adore their brood of four children. Anita’s best friend and partner in crime is her younger sister Barb. Donna and Jackie, also known as the Babies, are the adorable, but mischievous younger siblings in the family. Nonlinear stories from their life and her childhood are told from Anita’s point of view, as they all navigate life in Catholic school, neighborhood variety shows, dance classes, changing dynamics of the city and the evolving social structure of the 1950s and 1960s. A cast of memorable characters shape her life and how she relates to the world. With the fierce support of her mom, and the constant companionship of Barb, Anita navigates her world that is comprised of lovely memories from a happy childhood.
Throughout the featured vignettes, Anita performs in school shows, visits a Gypsy fortune teller, spends many hours of wonder in the local movie theater, participates in work with the Catholic church, appears on television, protects and empowers others. Kennedy’s win is a milestone in their lives, and the girls even take place in the campaign.
Inspired by the success of Kennedy’s campaign, Anita decides to run for class president. She sets up her campaign and gets a running mate. The nuns come to her and explain that there is no precedent for a girl being an elected class president, and ask her to drop out of the election. Anita refuses on principle and Helen backs her the entire way. Anita runs a successful campaign, but on the day of the election, one of the nuns closes the voting early and some of the votes are not counted. Anita loses the election, but has set the stage for girls to run for office.