Annie On My Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. NY: FSG. Lisa is a museum going high school student with a certain future including graduating as class president, going to MIT and becoming an architect.  While this certainty does not change yet is questioned, Lisa does have to come to terms with who she is when she meets Annie in a Museum.  Their friendship grows into more and Lisa struggles with labels like lesbian. A house sitting arrangement between Lisa and two teachers she suspects are also lesbians turns into a scandal that rocks her certain world and her relationship with Annie. I will admit that I was getting worried as I kept reading the book and seeing how few pages were left, I am thankful for the last page.  A major strength of the book is how tactfully it is written. While this book is often challenged and banned, it is not vulgar or provocative. It is a beautiful story of love and navigating the emotions that come from the feelings. Sadly, this love between the two girls written in the ‘80’s has not changed with how their love is viewed in the year 2015. That alone is worthy of discussion. I feel that a book talk of this book could be explored though a theme of tolerance and acceptance.