My Writing Hero: Sara Zarr, a guest post by Angie Manfredi for Women’s History Month
classrooms and your library, the ones you see at Starbucks and the movies on Saturday nights. She writes their stories and their lives in such a rich, full way that her books let those teen girls know that their stories have merit, their lives have worth, and that they are just as awesome as any fantasy world heroine.
Filed under: Female Writers, How to Save a Life, March, Sara Zarr, Story of a Girl, The Lucy Variations, Uncategorized, Women's History Month

About Karen Jensen, MLS
Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).
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I agree 100%. As a librarian, I love Story of A Girl because it's a literary novel that reluctant readers can enjoy and embrace. Also, though few of us have gone through Deanna's precise struggle, I think most women/teen girls understand that tension between teenage daughters and their fathers. As a writer, her work inspires me. One of my top YA books as well.
Great post Angie! Loved the feminist look at Zarr's writing. Story of a Girl has been buried on my TBR list, but I think the time has come to bump it up.
Heather, I read Story of a Girl for the first time last year and really loved it. You'll have to tell us what you think when you finish. Karen (TLT)
I'm a big fan of Sara's. I've read/re-read/passed-on-to-friends all her books and am often inspired by her thoughts on writing, faith, and the creative life. I'm eagerly awaiting LUCY!)
Very much agreed. “Story of a Girl” is one of my favorites, and one I recommend to readers who are new to YA. Glad to hear that “The Lucy Variations” is great, too!