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Sam
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
12 posts | 15 read | 10 to read
Ive been an Allegra Goodman fan for years, but Sam is hands down my new favorite. I loved this powerful and endearing portrait of a girl who must summon deep within herself the grit and wisdom to grow up."--Lily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers and Lovers What happens to a girls exuberance and wonder as she becomes a woman? This unforgettable portrait of coming-of-age offers a powerful reflection on class, addiction, parenthood, longing, and ambitionfrom an author hailed as mesmerizing (People) and irresistible (The New York Times Book Review). There is a girl, and her name is Sam. She adores her father, though he isnt around much. Her mother, Courtney, struggles to make ends meet, and never fails to remind her daughter that her life should be different. Sam doesnt fit in at school, where the other girls have the right shade of blue jeans and dont question the rules. Sam doesnt care about jeans or rules. She just loves to climb--trees, fences, walls, the side of a building. When shes climbing, she discovers a place she belongs: she can turn off her brain, pain has a purpose, and its okay if you want to win. As Sam grows into her teens, she grapples with self-doubt and insecurity. She yearns for her climbing coach to notice her, but his attention crosses boundaries she doesn't know how to resist. She wishes her father would leave for good, instead of always coming and going, but once hes gone, she realizes how much shes lost. She rages against her mothers constant pressure to plan for a more secure future. Wrestling with who she wants to be in the face of what shes expected to do, Sam comes to understand that she alone can make her dreams come true. Allegra Goodmans beautiful and wise novel Sam is deceptively simple: it is about a girl who becomes a woman. But underneath its straightforward chronology and spare sentences lie layers of extraordinary depth, sensitivity, and tenderness. This unforgettable ode to girlhood asks, What happens to a child's sense of joy and belonging--her belief in herself--as she grows up? The answer will break your heart, but will also leave you full of hope.
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Chelsea.Poole
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Pickpick

Character-driven, coming of age novel, audiobook expertly narrated by Rebecca Lowman! Readers meet Sam, a millennial (I think?), celebrating her 8th birthday with her sweet but troubled father at a pizza place. He tells her to remember the moment, which she revisits at the end of the novel at 20. Her life isn‘t easy: she and her brother are raised by their single mom. Rock climbing keeps her grounded throughout all the ups and downs of life.

LeeRHarry This nearly made it on my Camp Litsy list 😆 11mo
Chelsea.Poole @LeeRHarry do you audiobook? I‘d suggest that format if so! 11mo
77 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Hillea2
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
Mehso-so

We go through the most formative years of Sam‘s life and hit many milestones. I enjoy a coming-of-age story but this one didn‘t have enough for me to recommend as a pick.

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angel1
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This book starts put with 7 yr old Sam who loves her father. Then we follow her throughout until her late teens. This is more of a character driven book and didn't really have any twists or big things happening which I'm fine with...it did have me rooting for Sam to have things finally go her way.

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jdiehr
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Pickpick

This piqued my interest when it was picked as a Read With Jenna book club pick for January.

Sam is a young girl living with her single mom and younger brother. Her dad sometimes visits regularly and sometimes doesn't come around for months.

One constant in her life is rock climbing. She loves solving the problem of a climb and the rush of excitement when she reaches the top.

I rooted for Sam from start to finish and loved her story ❤️

26 likes2 stack adds
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MysticFaerie
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Pickpick

4⭐️/5⭐️

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Acoleman
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Pickpick

Loved!!! I love the way this book is written. It feels like a story being told. I love the message and the themes. The elements of rock climbing were super interesting.

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Graciouswarriorprincess
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Book 9 of 100.

wanderinglynn 🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Look how far ahead you are on your challenge! 1y
36 likes2 comments
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Megabooks
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Pickpick

I was looking for some Rebecca Lowman narration, and I chose this character study of a young girl. Not sure if it‘s YA or adult, but I liked how Goodman used the lens of rock climbing to tell the story of Sam‘s relationships as she matures from 7 to 19.

At 7, Sam excels at a county fair climbing wall. Her dad, who is in and out of her life, takes her to a gym where she joins a team. What she learns from climbing helps her deal with life.

Cinfhen Sounds like a definite #BorrowNotBuy 1y
Megabooks @Cinfhen yeah, I would agree with that. 👍🏻 1y
77 likes2 comments
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LatrelWhite
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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🎧 “There is a girl, and her name is Sam.” So begins Allegra Goodman‘s moving and wise new novel.
Sam is seven years old and living in Beverley, Massachusetts. She adores her father, though he isn‘t around much.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read in one day!

13 likes1 stack add
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Addison_Reads
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Mehso-so

#NetGalley #NewRelease

Sam is a coming-of-age tale that starts when the main character is 7 and follows her through various ups and downs until she's 19.

I appreciate the exploration of family, relationships, and identity that Goodman presents, but for me, something just didn't connect. Parts I enjoyed, other parts bored me, and overall it felt a bit underwhelming.

AmyG Thanks for the review. 1y
45 likes1 comment
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kissmehardy
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Pickpick

This was an interesting if frustrating read, but it was frustrating because I was invested in Sam, not because of poor writing. I liked tracking how the style of her thoughts changed as she got older, and it was fascinating to track the details of her life that were present yet never verbalized. #literaryfiction

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Alfoster
Sam: A Novel | Allegra Goodman
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Pickpick

This is a sweet, but an often bittersweet, poignant novel about Sam—who goes from ages 7-20 during the course of this coming-of-age book. Heartbreaks, disappointments, and achievements all affect her outlook as she begins rock climbing and must deal with both parents and friends as she navigates this life that can be both exhilarating and exhausting!