Joanne’s Characters are Human

Joanne Greenberg is most well-known for her book “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,” but she has written many more books, though not as well known, are excellent reads! When I read, I like to feel for the characters, get inside their heads; be eager to know what they will do/think next. Joanne’s characters are human, flawed, and somehow even the most flawed I feel such compassion for, even though they sometimes break my heart.

The first of her more recent books I discovered was Miri Who Charms, which I finished in two days and then passed on to my Mom. She also labored under the impression that Joanne never beat Rose Garden.  Mom agreed with one reviewer who stated that Joanne “writes like a house on fire.” We shared and discussed more of her books.

Next, I perused her WEB page and decided to try Appearances. Powerful stuff! I suggest you read what it is about first. It’s a challenging subject, but her characters work through it. Appearances is a haunting and beautifully written novel, and it, perhaps more than any other title of hers, supports my thesis that Joanne’s characters are human.

At this point, it was clear to me that I wanted to read as many of Joanne Greenberg’s books as possible. I ordered and read Age of Consent, In This Sign, and The Monday Voices.

Some time passed before I looked up Joanne Greenberg again on Amazon, and I found she had written yet another book, “All I’ve Done for You.” Like the others, it haunted me. In This Sign was a hard read for me, and I’m not sure why. However, I finished it and enjoyed it thoroughly.

A few months ago, I came across an interview with Joanne on the Internet, and I was happy to see that she had written more books, which I ordered and read in quick succession. Jubilee Year was extraordinary, followed by On the Run, then a used hardback copy of With the Snow Queen, which captivated me even though I’m not much of a short story reader. I prefer to be swept up in novels. Again, Joanne’s characters are human.

I would love to see more of her books reissued and back in print, read in schools, book clubs, etc. I have read Joanne’s work at various stages of my life: as a teen, through middle age, and now as a young senior. I hope you read this and are inspired to discover more of her work.