Girlhood and Adolescence in the Twenty-First-Century Southern Novel

Girlhood and Adolescence in the Twenty-First-Century Southern Novel explores six works by contemporary Southern women writers, each featuring a girl protagonist navigating complex personal and cultural challenges rooted in the American South.These twenty-first-century portrayals mark a significant shift from earlier depictions of Southern girlhood-most notably in the protagonists’ relationships with family and their striking detachment from Civil War memory and its lingering legacy. Central to each narrative is a longing for the absent or deceased mother and, in most cases, an aversion to the father figure, who is often depicted as abusive or irresponsible.Yet the specific struggles these girls face vary widely.While racism and racial tension appear in several novels, only one centers entirely on Black/white relations.Some grapple with extreme poverty or life in overlooked working-class communities, while others explore spiritual journeys outside of traditional Christianity-embracing i