A place for beliefs in teen life

By Chris Gustafson

Although faith traditions are important to many young adults, it's an unusual book that acknowledges the place of belief in the life of teens. Here are some excellent exceptions.

"Full Service" by Will Weaver

Sixteen-year-old Paul has led a rather sheltered life. His 1965 Midwestern farm is isolating, plus he and his parents belong to a small group of Christians who meet as a tiny house church, which is considered odd by his school friends who attend more mainline denominations in town. There's plenty of work to do on the farm, so Paul is happily surprised when his mom senses his restlessness and champions an opportunity for him to work at the local gas station, though dad is opposed to Paul's exposure to more "worldly" folks. It's an eye-opening experience; Paul encounters a local man who is a former mobster, the thrill-seeking high school good girl who meets up with a sketchy guy at the station and he learns the vagaries of his own co-workers. Weaver creates a strong cast of distinct characters who challenge what Paul has always believed on any number of levels. His parents grapple with allowing Paul to spread his wings and make his own choices once they have provided him with firm rooting in the values they cherish. Sure to create nostalgia for those days of full service.

"Come Back to Afghanistan by Said Hyder Akbar

Hyder remembers his early life as an Afghan refuge in Pakistan, but grows up comfortably in northern California while intrigued and moved by family stories of their home province, Kunar. When Hyder's father returns, first as spokesperson for President Karzai and then as governor of Kunar, Hyder joins him for three summers, using his tape recorder to capture interviews as well as his own culture shock and growing love for Afghanistan. Hyder's memoir is occasionally rambling and it's sometimes hard to keep the characters straight, but it's worth the work to discover that the death of a prisoner in Kunar is linked to the Abu Ghraib atrocities, and to follow the drama of the first Afghan elections. I was pulled in by Hyder's account, but could not help noticing how few women are a part of the story, simply because their worlds so rarely intersected with his in Afghanistan, and I wanted to know more about these unmentioned lives. Hyder's mom describes her life in the United States as an uncomfortable cultural fit, but she's the one who pushes Hyder to do his own housework and not to expect her to do it - and it's telling that Hyder's brother joins him in Kunar but the family decides not to have a sister join them. At over 300 pages this book is a better fit for determined readers.

"a brief chapter in my impossible life" by Dana Reinhardt

At least initially, Simone's life is considerably less impossible than that of many sixteen year olds. Her parents are pretty solid, providing lots of love along with reasonable expectations and limits. Mom directs the local ACLU and dad is a political cartoonist, though Simone swears he is never funny at home. Younger brother Jake is a freshman and surprisingly easy to get along with. Simone has always known she was adopted and the shape of her eyes, the tint of her skin and her dark hair provide a contrast to the dimples and blondeness of the rest of the family. But she's never been curious about her birth family, and it's never been an issue until her mother announces that birth mother Rivka has been in touch and would like to talk to Simone. Simone could do without the pressure right now; best friend Cleo is dating Darius and hashing over with Simone how to handle the physical side of the relationship; there's plenty of junior year school intensity, and how's she going to get Zach, the cute guy in her class who works at Organic Oasis, to notice her? Eventually Simone does call Rivka and learns the story of her birth - Simone's mom knew Rivka's ultra-orthodox Jewish family because she was representing them on a religious freedom case and when Rivka got pregnant at age sixteen, the adoption was arranged. Simone, who joined the Atheist Student Alliance to have some activity to put on her college application, must come to terms not only with Rivka herself, but with her own Jewish heritage, wrestling with what it means to believe in God. Honest, compelling, thoughtful.

Chris Gustafson is the librarian at Whitman Middle School and may be reached via bnteditor@robinsonnews.com