AUDIOBOOK
About
Ms. Beatrice Hempel, teacher of seventh grade, is new—new to teaching, new to the school, newly engaged, and newly bereft of her devoted father. Overwhelmed by her newness, she struggles to figure out what is expected of her in life and at work. Is it acceptable to introduce swear words in to the English curriculum, enlist students to write their own report cards, or bring up personal experiences while teaching a sex-education class? Sarah Shun-lien Bynum finds characters at their most vulnerable, then explores those precarious moments in sharp, graceful prose. From this most innovative of young writers comes another journey down the rabbit hole to the wonderland of middle school, memory, daydreaming, and the extraordinary business of growing up.
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Reviews
"When I opened this utterly charming novel, I fell in love with it."
Washington Post
"Utterly winning...[Bynum] creates a seamless, intuitive novel of short stories...Each is a small gorgeous thing on its own, but the wise and whimsical Ms Hempel Chronicles gives them their collective due, deploying them on a broader canvas, their colors more layered, their impact more powerful."
New York Sun
"A marvelous new book...Each of these eight stories dazzles on its own terms; all together they create a stunning portrait of an unforgettable character at a crossroads."
San Francisco Chronicle