![]() ![]() Anna first appears to us as a perceptive twelve-year-old, a child who adores her father even though she suspects he’s up to no good. Set on and around the New York City waterfront, the novel tells the story of Anna Kerrigan, a woman who comes of age during the Second World War. This isn’t the story of a woman who’s a jet-setting business mogul or a politician who would be president but the plot of Jennifer Egan’s new novel, Manhattan Beach. When she watches the news, she feels proud of what she’s done for her country, especially advancing its interests abroad. Having a child doesn’t stop her from succeeding-she relies on another woman for help with childcare. When she moves away, she’s buoyed by the recommendations of her male superiors, and she has little trouble finding a new job. Soon enough, she’s the go-to person for the most challenging assignments, and she’s put in charge of the new recruits. Slowly, she wins the grudging respect of her male colleagues and a permanent spot on the team. She executes her assigned tasks flawlessly. She endures the teasing and the skeptical looks. Her acquaintances discourage her the men in charge nearly laugh her out of the room. Naval Reserve, 1942 (National Archives)Ī woman seeks to make her way in a male-dominated industry. ![]() Set on and around the New York City waterfront, Jennifer Egan’s new novel Manhattan Beach offers a feminism suited to the “lean in” age. ![]()
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