An American Childhood

An American Childhood
AuthorAnnie Dillard
PublisherHarper & Row
Publication date
1987

An American Childhood is a 1987 memoir by Annie Dillard, published by Harper & Row.

It describes her childhood during the 1950s and 1960s in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Kirkus Reviews noted that the book is more accessible to a general audience compared to Teaching the Stone to Talk.[1]

Reception

Noel Perrin in The New York Times stated that the book is "remarkable," while also noting "overwriting" and expressing a desire for a more structured "plot" rather than a sole focus on Dillard's internal thoughts.[2]

Publishers Weekly described Dillard's writing style as "luminous," adding that her presentation of memories with "original immediacy and force" enhances the writing.[3]

Evelyn Small, in Washington Post, stated that the author "helped usher in the age of memoirs" with the book.[4]

References

  1. ^ "AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD". Kirkus Reviews. 1987-09-23. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  2. ^ Perrin, Noel (1987-09-27). "Her Inexhaustable Mind". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  3. ^ "An American Childhood". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
  4. ^ Small, Evelyn (2004-08-01). "'An American Childhood' by Annie Dillard". The Washington Post Book Club. pp. BW13. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved 2023-03-24.