{"product_id":"matasha-paperback","title":"Matasha - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePamela Erens\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe many pleasures of this novel include its empathy and poker-faced wit, and the charms of its main character.--\u003cb\u003eMeg Wolitzer, New York Times Book Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Beautifully renders the slow-motion alchemy of growing up; mesmerizing and memorable.\"\u003cbr\u003e --\u003cb\u003eKIRKUS (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eMatasha\u003c\/i\u003e evokes a time and a place and a childhood with startling honesty and clarity, honoring the intelligence of a curious younger reader and the sophistication of an older reader alike. I'll follow Pamela Erens anywhere, and am not surprised that this is where she's led me: to a brilliant, hilarious, sharp-edged novel for everyone.\"--\u003cb\u003eREBECCA MAKKAI, \u003c\/b\u003eauthor of \u003ci\u003eThe Great Believers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Authentic, witty, and painful, \u003ci\u003eMatasha\u003c\/i\u003e is a delightful middle grade debut, crammed with delicious period details. Matasha, an only child, must navigate awkward friendships, growth-hormone treatments, and parents who always bewilder and disappoint. A 1970s coming-of-age story that rings true of then--and now.\"--\u003cb\u003eMARINA BUDHOS\u003c\/b\u003e, author, \u003ci\u003eThe Long Ride\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWatched\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eMatasha's\u003c\/i\u003e brave and original heroine reminds me of \u003ci\u003eHarriet the Spy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBlubber\u003c\/i\u003e, her perspective captivating and inimitable. It's a joy to watch Matasha grow up, making meaning of everything. This novel has tremendous sweep and scope, with all the joys, sorrows, and revelations of a real girlhood.\"--\u003cb\u003eRACHEL DEWOSKIN\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eBig Girl Small, Blind, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSomeday We Will Fly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"The narrator of \u003ci\u003eMatasha\u003c\/i\u003e may be small for her age but she is years ahead of her peers in how she faces a growing series of challenges. Matasha has to deal with the casual cruelty of her classmates, her growing alienation from her longtime best friend, her increasing awareness of her mother's dissatisfaction, and her own health issues, handling them all with a thoughtfulness that feels realistic (especially when interrupted by the occasional spectacular temper tantrum). Readers of all ages will enjoy seeing 1970s Chicago from her vantage point.\" --\u003cb\u003eMICHELLE FALKOFF\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003ePlaylist for the Dead\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHow to Pack for the End of the World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Tender, funny, and endlessly surprising, \u003ci\u003eMatasha\u003c\/i\u003e perfectly captures the confusion of being an eleven year old girl and trying to solve all of life's mysteries, big and small. This wonderful book--and the wonderful girl at its center--will stay with me for a very long time.\"--\u003cb\u003eROBIN WASSERMAN\u003c\/b\u003e, author, \u003ci\u003eGirls on Fire\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Blood and Shadow\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHacking Harvard\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt's 1970's Chicago. Eleven-year-old Matasha Wax is in the sixth grade and just starting to feel the pressures of growing up. Her best friend Jean has been blowing her off, while her parents are in a standoff over her mother's desire to adopt a refugee from Vietnam. And while the bullies in school have started to grow breasts and inches, Matasha remains a puny four-foot-four - which means she will need growth hormone shots, and she is terrified of needles. Apart from her daily reading of the advice columns in the newspaper, keeping up with the Patty Hearst and Watergate scandals, and tracking her parents' deteriorating marriage, Matasha is fixated by the story of Martin Kimmel, a nine-year-old boy who disappeared a few months ago, and whose body has yet to be found. But none of these ongoing problems could have prepared Matasha for her mother's sudden disappearance. When the letters start coming from Switzerland, she knows something is very, very wrong - but no one will tell her what's going on, so Matasha has to figure it all out for herself. A tale of growing up and growing apart, \u003ci\u003eMatasha\u003c\/i\u003e is a poignant look at resilience in the face of adolescent loneliness, divorce, bullying and slow development. Pamela Erens has crafted an intimate novel for readers who loved \u003ci\u003eMy Jasper June\u003c\/i\u003e by Laurel Snyder, \u003ci\u003eThe Line Tender\u003c\/i\u003e by Kate Allen, and \u003ci\u003eSome Places More Than Others\u003c\/i\u003e by Renee Watson.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePamela Erens is the author of the adult novel, \u003ci\u003eEleven Hours\u003c\/i\u003e, which was named a Best Book of 2016 by NPR, the \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e, and was lauded by publications including the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e. Her previous novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Virgins\u003c\/i\u003e, was a \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e Editors' Choice and was named a Best Book of 2013 by the \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker, \u003c\/i\u003e the \u003ci\u003eNew Republic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e and Salon. Pamela's work has appeared in the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSlate\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eElle\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eVirginia Quarterly Review.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 296\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 8.2 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 01, 2021\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42699660755007,"sku":"9781632462008","price":15.54,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/147ba0a4c2e783c5154742acc446531c.webp?v=1765014074","url":"https:\/\/dhlswag.com\/products\/matasha-paperback","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}