Young Adult coming of age. One I would give to all the high school third culture girls that I know.

Greensleeves by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a coming-of-age story, detailing three months in the life of eighteen-year-old Shannon Kathleen Lightley. Shannon is something of a misfit, bouncing between continents and parents and struggling to find her niche in life. After a miserable senior year of high school in Oregon, Shannon is more than ready to start the next chapter of her life. But with no set plans for college or a career, she's left wondering what, exactly, that should be.

Oh dear, this was a bit of a disappointment. This has been on my to-read shelf for months, and I've only just managed to track down a copy. The first third or so of this book is excellent, composed of vivid, witty writing that is characteristic of McGraw at her best. The mystery of Mrs. Dunningham's unusual will is intriguing, and Shannon's hijinks as Georgetta the undercover waitress are delightful.
However, about halfway through the book, it seemed that almost everything would soon be wrapped up, and I started to wonder what could be left. I'm beginning to wonder if McGraw herself was also plagued by this dilemma.

As a reader, I found Shannon's tortuous journey towards some kind of self-actualization increasingly frustrating, and after a while, it really started to detract from my enjoyment of the book. Even worse, despite all the dithering about, the most interesting plot points in the book are never satisfactorily resolved. There was also a weird love triangle that came out of nowhere, and the book really would have been much better without it. It didn't show anyone off to their best advantage and had undertones of assault. Dave is the worst.

Overall, a decent book, and maybe one I would have enjoyed more as a teenager. However, if you're a teen and still struggling to find your direction in life, I have a hunch this book will probably stress you out more than anything else. ( )

A coming of age novel from 1968 set in Portland, Oregon. Quirky and amusing for the first half as Shannon impersonates Georgetta and gets to know the legatees under the will, some of whom see through her disguise. I enjoyed it less once it focussed more on the issues of who Shannon really is and whether she will marry Dave or Sherry. A contemporary romance would surely have gone with Dave (he'd certainly have been my choice!), but then a contemporary romance wouldn't have an 18-year old making that kind of decision. ( )

Shannon Lightly has just graduated from high school after a life time of living in Europe and the US, either with her mother, her father or her aunt. She has been everywhere in Europe, but when she is about to fly back overseas from Portland, she realizes she is really nowhere and isn't even sure of who she is and what she wants to do. She turns to her "Uncle" Frosty, who suggests she take the summer off, and ends up helping him discover what is up with a rather unusual will that he has been hired to contest. She decides to go undercover, gets a job as a waitress and lives right among some of the potential legatees. Bear in mind that this was written and set in the 1960s, when you could do that and be paid from the till.

Although Shannon has traveled alone from one parent to another, this is the first time she is really and truly on her own, and while trying earnestly to gather information, she meets Sherry (George Maynard Sherrill) who takes to her immediately.

It's easy to see, while reading this, why Eloise Jarvis McGraw, who won the Newberry Honor three times in as many decades, published so many books; she knew how to write. This has been republished as a Nancy Pearl "Book Crush Rediscovery" and I would say it is worth it. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. It is very well written. The plot is simple but has some realistic tension. I wanted to keep reading to see 'what is going to happen'. For me the characters were appealing - very likable. I don't need 'likable' characters to enjoy a book but when I find them I enjoy knowing them. For me all the characters - and there are quite a few of them for a short book - had depth and elicited an emotional response from me. I cared about them! Overall this is a book I would recommend to others. ( )