Anthropology of an American Girl
by H. T. Hamann

Beyond the riveting and cinematic story of a young artist's awakening and her enduring love for a professional fighter, "Anthropology of an American Girl" provides an intelligent assessment of the essence of being an American in contemporary culture. Set in Manhattan, New Jersey, and East Hampton—stripped of stereotype and restored to its natural wonder and pristine beauty through the eyes of an insider—this captivating novel examines the meaning of freedom and the obligation of people to live conscious lives. Anthropology follows its heroine, Eveline, as she moves from high school in the Hamptons during the bohemian 1970s to college in New York City during the bleak and neo- conservative 1980s. Through a purity of voice reminiscent of such great American writers as Carson McCullers, Harper Lee, or Willa Cather, Ms. Hamann gives the reader complete access to Eveline's interior state of mind in order to juxtapose external reality against the intrinsic, soulful truth upon which the reader comes to depend. The novel expertly retains its uplifting innocence despite its skepticism against the social conventions which prevent people from loving truly and living freely. This sincere exploration of identity and vivid portrayal of desire, with its built-in sound track, has the capacity to enrich every reader's life.