Books like Crossing California by Adam Langer
During the pivotal years between the Iran hostage crisis and the election of Ronald Reagan, Crossing California follows three interconnected Chicago families on opposite sides of California Avenue—an avenue that divides upper‑middle‑class and middle‑class Jewish households in West Rogers Park. Through the eyes of eighth‑grader Jill Wasserstrom, stubborn teenage friend Muley Wills, aspiring musician Larry Rovner, and their families, the novel explores teenage curiosity, familial expectations, and the broader cultural shift from 1960s idealism to 1980s pragmatism. Set amid real historical events, the story weaves the personal and the political into a portrait of an era in flux.
First publish date: 2004
Genre: Historical Fiction/20th Century Historical Fiction
Authors: Adam Langer
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