Annie on my Mind

Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my mind. NY: FSG. The main characters in this book are Annie and Liza. These two teenage girls meet by chance one day when Liza hears Annie singing. They come from completely different backgrounds; public school vs. private school, professional parents vs. cab driver/bookkeeper, architect vs. singer. Despite all the differences, they become best of friends. Friendship soon turns to love. The story chronicles the relationship between two girls in love. We see that it is not always rosy and their relationship is revealed to the public. In turn, the gay relationship of their two teachers is also revealed and they are subsequently fired. Liza has tremendous guilt and ends her relationship with Annie. After being separated for several years, Liza finally comes to terms with her sexual orientation and reunites with Annie. I can understand why this would be constantly on the list of potentially censored books. Unfortunately, gay relationships are still tabu and many parents certainly don’t want their children reading about them. This book was a beautiful representation of the good and bad of a same sex relationship. It shows how two people, not matter their sex, can fall in love without even trying. It also shows how unsupportive people can change the lives of others just because their opinions are different. The characters are the heart of this novel. They are so well developed and they grew and changed through the novel. We see inside the characters and know what they are thinking and feeling.