{"product_id":"an-uncommon-education-a-novel-isbn-9780062110978","title":"An Uncommon Education: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor fans of \u003cem\u003ePrep\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDead Poets Society\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eSpecial Topics in Calamity Physics \u003c\/em\u003ecomes an elegant and remarkably insightful debut novel.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A moving and bittersweet coming-of-age story about love, loss, friendship, ambition, and the power of memory.\" -J. Courtney Sullivan, author of \u003cem\u003eCommencement, Maine, \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eSaints for All Occasions\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShy, introspective Naomi Feinstein has dreamed of a prestigious future in cardiology ever since her father’s heart attack scare. For her, becoming a doctor seems to be the only way she can create order in her messy life and perhaps one day save her mother, a deeply depressed woman who rarely has the strength to leave her own bedroom. Alienated at school, Naomi spends afternoons studying with her father, poring over textbooks, and dreaming of Wellesley College. But when her next-door neighbor Teddy, her confidant and only friend, abruptly departs from her life, it’s the first devastating loss from which Naomi is not sure she can ever recover, even after her long-awaited acceptance letter to Wellesley arrives. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut college is not all Naomi imagined it would be. Among hundreds of other girls, she is consumed by loneliness and competition where she had expected solidarity and security--until the day she sees a girl fall into a frozen lake. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is Naomi’s introduction to Wellesley’s mysterious Shakespeare Society, the college’s oldest club, filled with secret rituals and the college's most unconventional and passionate students. Within “Shakes,” Naomi is finally able to open herself up to her peers, reflecting a little less and living a little more. Detaching from the past, replacing Einstein with Shakespeare, Naomi’s new world is exciting and liberating, until an accusation brings a scandal with irreversible consequences for Naomi and her new friends. Naomi has always tried to save the ones she loves, but part of growing up is learning that, sometimes, saving others is a matter of saving yourself. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePoignant and wise, \u003cem\u003eAn Uncommon Education\u003c\/em\u003e is a heartbreaking and compelling portrait of a young woman’s quest for greatness, filled with the complicated ties of family and friendship, and the ultimate importance of learning to let go. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eAfraid of losing her parents at a young age, Naomi Feinstein prepares single-mindedly for a prestigious future as a doctor. But when her only friend and confidant abruptly departs from her life, Naomi isn't sure she will ever recover, even after a long-awaited acceptance letter to Wellesley arrives. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYet Naomi soon learns that college isn't the bastion of solidarity and security she had imagined. Amid hundreds of other young women, she is consumed by loneliness—until the day she sees a girl fall into the freezing waters of a lake. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe event marks Naomi's introduction to Wellesley's oldest honor society, the mysterious Shakespeare Society, defined by secret rituals and filled with unconventional, passionate students. As Naomi immerses herself in this exciting and liberating world, her happiness is soon compromised by a scandal that brings devastating consequences. Naomi has always tried to save the ones she loves, but sometimes saving others is a matter of saving yourself. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn Uncommon Education\u003c\/em\u003e is a compelling portrait of a quest for greatness and the grace of human limitations. Poignant and wise, it artfully captures the complicated ties of family, the bittersweet inevitability of loss, and the importance of learning to let go. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Percer’s lyrical novel has much to offer.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Bonds of love, family and friendship, sometimes damaged or beyond repair, are nevertheless celebrated in an intense debut by a noted poet. . . . [A] thoughtful coming-of-age tale that hovers observantly on the edge of melancholia.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Haunting and poignant, Elizabeth Percer’s coming-of-age novel portrays a bright young woman confronting her limits as she watches those she loves deal with illness and betrayal.  Each turn of this elegiac debut revealed stark truths that left me both moved and astonished.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of A Fierce Radiance and City of Light\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Eloquent, haunting and exquisitely written, Percer’s stunning debut finds surprising beauty in the broken places of our lives. Here, winning can’t mute pain, but love endures despite the odds, and  the education of a remarkable young woman is as uncommonly original as this novel itself.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCaroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“It’s impossible not to care about Naomi Feinstein . . . \u003cem\u003eAn Uncommon Education\u003c\/em\u003e beautifully [brings] Naomi to the Bard (the play’s the thing), but also gives the reader something much rarer--a world, and a life, that seem real.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNicole Mones, author of Lost in Translation and The Last Chinese Chef\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A moving and bittersweet coming-of-age story about love, loss, friendship, ambition, and the power of memory. This complex and satisfying tale introduces a cast of quirky, hilarious, intellectual young women, struggling to find their place in the world.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJ. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times bestselling author of Maine and Commencement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Poet Percer’s fiction debut is an intimate portrait of an intelligent, tender girl with a deep wish to protect those she loves.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A wistful debut novel by noted Bay Area poet.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSan Jose Mercury News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Elizabeth Percer relates the life story of Naomi Feinstein with beautifully scripted, lush prose drawing in the reader and providing an unobstructed view deep into the hearts of her characters. . . . \u003cem\u003eAn Uncommon Education\u003c\/em\u003e is rich in history, steeped in family tradition, and full of emotion-a lesson in practiced elegance.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Journal of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Few [coming-of-age novels] have the steel-hard delicacy and exacting revelations of Elizabeth Percer’s first novel. At Wellesley, from which the author, a three-time Pushcart nominee, also graduated, Naomi feels isolated among the college’s smart, polished go-getters until she is introduced to the Shakespeare Society, whose members perform the Bard’s plays and construct passionate, complex, and sometimes exploding relationships. Here Naomi experiences both closeness and betrayal, here she finds her true purpose, and readers live every moment with her.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Think \u003ci\u003eDead Poet’s Society\u003c\/i\u003e or \u003ci\u003eThe Secret History\u003c\/i\u003e.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Enticing and shyly perceptive.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Naomi demonstrates] how to make the kinds of choices that eventually lead to an uncommon but joy-filled life.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOprah.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Three-time Pushcart nominee Percer offers an uncommonly good debut that’s finely detailed and emotionally gripping while avoiding every pitfall of the standard coming-of-age tale. Highly recommended.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A fine novel and a young writer to watch.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHudson Valley News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888074518757,"sku":"NP9780062110978","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062110978.jpg?v=1730228088","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/an-uncommon-education-a-novel-isbn-9780062110978","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}