''Sam'' is a

literary fiction Literary fiction, mainstream fiction, non-genre fiction or serious fiction is a label that, in the book trade, refers to market novels that do not fit neatly into an established genre (see genre fiction); or, otherwise, refers to novels that are ch ...

novel by

Allegra Goodman Allegra Goodman (born 1967) is an American author based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Goodman wrote and illustrated her first novel at the age of seven. Biography Allegra Goodman was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Hawaii. The daughter ...

. It was published in the United States by

Dial Press The Dial Press was a publishing house founded in 1923 by Lincoln MacVeagh. The Dial Press shared a building with ''The Dial'' and Scofield Thayer worked with both. The first imprint was issued in 1924. Authors included Elizabeth Bowen, W. R. Bu ...

on January 3, 2023.

Plot

''Sam'' is a

coming-of-age story In genre studies, a coming-of-age story is a genre of literature, theatre, film, and video game that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, or "coming of age". Coming-of-age stories tend to emphasize dialogue or internal ...

following a girl named Sam who grows up in

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

. Sam's father is a magician who constantly travels for performances and her mother is a hairdresser. As Sam grows up, she becomes increasingly attached to the sport of climbing – climbing trees, buildings, and rock climbing.

Development history

Publication history

''Sam'' was published on January 3, 2023 by Dial Press.

Reception

''Sam'' received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. Mary Pols praised the book in ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

,'' drawing a positive comparison to

Richard Linklater Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies '' ...

's 2014 film ''Boyhood''. ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'''s Donna Seaman positively described Goodman's prose and narration style and a review in ''BookPage'' described the book as "stand ngout among realistic coming-of-age novels." In contrast, ''Sam'' received more negative reviews from several prominent critics. ''The Boston Globe'' published a review of the book by Priscilla Gilman who criticized Goodman's control of the various character's voices and criticized what she saw as a lack of reflection throughout the novel, describing the book as "YA masquerading as adult fiction." ''The Washington Post'''s Ron Charles praised Goodman's language and the novel's "prettiness" but wrote that those qualities led to the story feeling predictable. While ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' wrote positively about the book's story and Goodman's prose, ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' panned the book, criticizing Goodman for not exploring the implications of Sam's sexual experimentation and writing that "there isn't enough texture in its treatment of the many serious issues faced by its heroine to satisfy readers."

John Podhoretz John Mordecai Podhoretz (; born April 18, 1961) is an American writer. He is the editor of ''Commentary'' magazine, a columnist for the ''New York Post'', the author of several books on politics, and a former speechwriter for Presidents Ronald ...

of ''

Commentary Magazine ''Commentary'' is a monthly American magazine on religion, Judaism, and politics, as well as social and cultural issues. Founded by the American Jewish Committee in 1945 under Elliot E. Cohen, editor from 1945 to 1959, ''Commentary'' magazine dev ...

'' praised the book for its realistic portrayal of a child protagonist. ''Sam'' was selected by

Jenna Bush Hager Jenna Welch Bush Hager (born November 25, 1981) is an American news personality, author, and journalist. She is the co-host of ''Today with Hoda & Jenna'', the fourth hour of NBC's morning news program ''Today (U.S. TV program), Today.'' Hager an ...

as a ''Today'' show book club pick shortly after publication.

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Sam''
at BookMarks 2023 American novels English-language novels Dial Press books