| Girls of Tender Age is Mary-Ann Tirone Smith's autobiograpical retelling of the origins of her family. The tells how her italian side and french candaian side came to be; her aunts and her uncles; her autistic brother; her adoring hard working father; and her possibly psychic mother. It's a chaotic and loving family that grew up in a housing project in the hard, post World War II era. Into this history of her family lurks a sinister serial killer named Bob Malm. The book's narrative shifts from Mary-Ann telling her story of life in Connecticut and of Bob's growing up, being adopted and going into the service where he couldn't supress his desire for little girls. Bob is sentenced to one year in prison for attacking a young girl and upon his release attemtps to do the same but only gets probabtion. Amazingly, this didn't stop Bob's attacks on women as he attacked a seventeen year old girl and the police trump up robbery charges and put him in prison for 7-10 years. In between the narrative shifts Smith's father gets a promotion and her mother gets a job and its time period that the bond between her and her autistic brother Tyler is shown. though he has a job and a clean work record Bob still lurks at night, eventually getting into Smith's quite neighborhood where Malm's and Smith's stories clash. | ||
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Plot & Themes job/profession: Job/profession/poverty story Yes Subject of Biography Gender - Female Profession/status: Ethnicity - White Nationality - Italian Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 () United States Yes The US: - Northeast - California Century: - 1930's-1950's Writing Style Book makes you feel? - like laughing Graphic sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - actual description of hetero sex If this is a kid's book: - Age 16-Adult How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog |
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