THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

Maddie is reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger for freshman English. Tempted by the small dark red cover of one of my favorite books I reread it too. Holden Caulfield’s voice may be the strongest voice of any young adult novel I’ve ever read. I remember when I first read Salinger’s classic in high school (and subsequently all of his other titles) and I found myself narrating my life in my head in Holden’s distinct cadence. Holden Caulfield has a way of infiltrating the reader’s head and calling us to examine what’s important in our lives, how priceless relationships are and the significance of being genuine (not a phony). I’m thrilled her teacher assigned it—for Maddie’s benefit and for mine.

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