A Tribe Apart: A Journey Into the Heart of American Adolescence

I've seen people say this book does not cover the mainstream or is not the best read, but I would disagree. Hersch takes the time to listen, to let 8 students tell their story. I was in high school at the time when this book was being published, and it is much more accurate that most adults care to realize. It is a narrative, but it is an accurate look at the millennial generation. The only other book that I have seen to compete in accuracy would be 'Hurt' by Chap Clark, but it is more of an academic read. Anyway, if you care for an inside look of adolescence, here is your chance.

Patricia Hersch, a journalist living in Reston, Virginia, details the lives of 8 young people living in her town in A Tribe Apart. All are chosen because they seem to represent "normal" young people walking the halls of the town's middle and senior high schools. Through Hersch's voice the audience hears the voices of Chris, the youngest and most meticulous of the bunch, Jessica and her older sister Ann, daughters of parents too busy and self-absorbed to really see the pains that weave in and out of their daughters' lives, Brendon with his early hopes and eventually the crashing of those dreams and his turn to graffiti and drug dealing, Charles and his struggle for excellence in athletics and school life, Jonathan, the oldest and most self-reflective, Courtney and her anything-goes lifestyle and finally Joan, trying to escape a cycle of depression. While the young people do fit into the different stereotypes that populate high school according to Hollywood, Hersch delves deeper into the words, thoughts and lives of the Reston teens to show the reader the special uniqueness of each. In the final section Hersch deals with the family histories of all the teens and the reader begins to see how interrelated the families are with each child. Even more, behind the seemingly random and self-destructive behaviors one sees glimpses of children seeking love and numbing pain from the lack of it. The final chapter in Hersch's book demonstrates the deep love she was able to cultivate toward the adolescents she befriended in Reston. Her deep pain in view of the tougher lives of some of the teens especially reminds the reader that though the lives of the teens were told with brutal honestly, it is also told by one that was able to open her heart to the adolescents, and as a result of this confidence, was able to capture the hearts of the adolescents. Thus while the brutal realities of the adolescent years through different subcultures is displayed in A Tribe Apart, it is done in such a way that the reader can catch a glimpse of the everyday struggles as well as the heartbreaking pains weighing down the teenage heart and its subsequent aftermath. While identifying each subculture Hersch is still able to capture the unique beauty in each adolescent, clearly emphasizing the yearning of the teen for love and acceptance, in the family and with peers. Thus while A Tribe Apart details life in the suburbs of Virginia the story is applicable in any American neighborhood.

I was incredibly impressed with Patricia Hersch's work - her dedication of spending 6+ years building trust while interviewing teenagers paid off dividends as she was able to get a true glimpse into their muddled, often violent, and lonely lives.Hersch should be most commended for her non-judgemental attitude toward the teens she interviews and befriends; this is obviously what builds trust and openness with her subjects. I can't imagine the difficulties she encountered in keeping her pact of not giving unsolicited advice as the teens recounted the poor choices they made or the threats of violence they encountered. I found her work to be excellent for anyone interested in either a middle school or high school experience, particularly in a large public school system. Even from the adolescent perspective, it was easy to see how both teens and teachers became victims of the system in which they participated.One warning: you will get very caught up in the lives of these troubled and not-so-troubled individuals.

A Tribe Apart covers adolescence in-depth. The diversity (and yet, also the commonalities between) of the real-life characters was astounding. There are many ideas in this book that I had never considered. As a future teacher, I am glad that I had the opportunity to read this thought-provoking reality check.

The contents of this book can not and does not put forth the ability to profile all American teenagers. It remarks about the type of community in which this research was done and I found it very helpful. We do not live in a planned community, but teenagers are ignored here just like everywhere, and it is good to hear how different kids live in and react differently to their own communities. One of the messages of the author seems to be that parents and society needs to help these kids, help themselves. There are a lot of mentally ill teenagers and no one is aware which ones are not going to get over the hard work of growing up. I think this book puts some truths out there. If America has a handle on raising kids well, why do we have the outbreak of school shooting and depression and eating disorders in our children? Why does highschool tend to destroy so much of our children and turn them cynical? This book does not answer every question, does the author ever sound like she can? It was helpful to myself and I have reccommended it to several other parents.