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Mary Jane cover art

Mary Jane

Written by: Jessica Anya Blau
Narrated by: Caitlin Kinnunen
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Publisher's Summary

"The best book of the summer." (InStyle)

"I LOVED this novel.... If you have ever sung along to a hit on the radio, in any decade, then you will devour Mary Jane at 45 rpm." (Nick Hornby)

Almost Famous meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this "delightful" (New York Times Book Review) novel about a 14-year-old girl’s coming of age in 1970s Baltimore, caught between her straight-laced family and the progressive family she nannies for - who happen to be secretly hiding a famous rock star and his movie star wife for the summer.

In 1970s Baltimore, 14-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family’s subscription to the Broadway Showtunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she’s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane’s mother says. In a respectable house.

The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface, Impeachment: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors, cereal and takeout for dinner. And even more troublesome (were Mary Jane’s mother to know, which she does not): the doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job - helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in.

Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she’s going to be.

©2021 Jessica Anya Blau (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Mary Jane

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perfect

This book somehow strikes the perfect balance of being deep, nuanced, and complex, and at the same time, a light, fun, and a perfect beach read. Narrated through the eyes of an innocent and sheltered girl who blossoms into a thoughtful young woman over the course of one summer.

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Very good but misleading description

I absolutely wouldn’t call this similar to Daisy Jones and the Six or Almost Famous. If that was why I read it, I’d be disappointed. But I really enjoyed this story and the narrator was excellent.

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Sweet coming of age story

Sweet Mary Jane- a story of an unforgettable summer, where not only 14 year old Mary Jane grew up but so did the adults around here. Loved the narration and all the touching moments in the sweet and endearing book.

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Loved this audiobook

I loved this coming of age book and what a pleasant surprise at the end!

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Fun, Sweet, beguiling!

Loved it from beginning to end. A different come info from age story with great characters and just enough angst to occasionally boils the blood. Incredible narration by Caitlin Kinnunen! She managed to sound (or maybe is) very young as the main character but also change her voice deftly for each of the other characters. Kudos!
I think both mums and teenage girls would enjoy this! ❤️
Heather

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Fun and Thoughtful

This was sort of a cross between Are You There God It’s Me Margaret and Almost Famous. Thoroughly enjoyed the narration and the story was a good read. A lot of social issues and a coming of age story. Would be a great listen for teenage girls and boy

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Best Narration

For me, this is the most engaging narrator performance I have heard. She added so much to the story. I have the hard copy but didn’t read like I normally would because I missed the narrator !

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