Jill McCorkle

"Whimsically entertaining and dramatically compelling." --The Boston Globe Kate Burns has heard of the magic of Ferris Beach all her life. Kate needs to believe in a little wonder. Shy and self-conscious, she lives with her distant, demanding mother and eccentric father. Then Misty moves to town, from Ferris Beach, no less. She is everything Kate wants to be: daring, outrageous, and fun. The two girls grow up together, sharing secrets about everything--until one fateful Fourth of July when their lives change forever. . . . "One of the best in the new generation of Southern writers . . . McCorkle hits all the right notes." --Atlanta Journal & Constitution

A Novel

Ferris Beach

Emily Netherland

Beautiful language and ever-changing relationships make this novel an addicting and emotional read.

Having already studied McCorkle’s short story collection Creatures of Habit, I was thrilled to try out one of her novels. Ferris Beach, one of her earliest novels, proved to be an insightful and moving read. Following Katie Tennyson Burns from her pre-teen years to high school in a format closely resembling diary entries brings out emotions regarding aging and friendships. The reader deeply feels her losses and gains and her desire for a happy ending.

The novel uses an interesting format, combining an element of storytelling with a personal diary. Some events are repeated throughout the chapters, creating a sense you are reading and living with Katie’s internal thoughts. I found some passages and repetitions to detract from McCorkle’s picturesque writing style, but I think those are due to her lack of writing experience and maturation when publishing this novel in 1990.

I felt like I grew up with Katie through the course of this novel, and I believe it resembles the genre of Bildungsroman. I would recommend to any teenage reader, or someone experiencing a loss or challenge with their parents.

Ferris Beach A Novel

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