Sophomores

By: Sean Desmond

Narrated by: John Pirhalla

"What a vibrant, propulsive, wildly intelligent and big-hearted slice of life Sophomores is, an intricate portrait of a family in crisis rendered with a great deal of humor and compassion. I loved this family, this corner of the world, this novel." (Claire Lombardo, author of The Most Fun We Ever Had)

The late 1980s come alive in this moving and keenly observed story of one boy's unforgettable sophomore year, and his parents' surprising journey alongside him.

It's fall 1987, and life as normal is ending for the Malone family. With their sterile Dallas community a far cry from the Irish-American Bronx of their youth, Pat and Anne Malone have reached a breaking point. Pat, faced with a debilitating MS diagnosis, has fallen into his drinking. Anne, his devoutly Catholic wife, is selected as a juror for a highly publicized attempted murder trial, one that raises questions - about God, and about men in power - she has buried her entire life. Together, they try to raise their only son, Daniel, a bright but unmotivated student who is shocked into actual learning by an enigmatic English teacher. For once, Dan is unable to fly under the radar, and is finally asked to consider what he might want to make of his life.

With humor and tenderness, Sophomores brilliantly captures the enduring poignancy of coming of age, teenage epiphanies and heartbreak, and family redemption.

©2021 Sean Desmond (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of New York Post’s Best New Books to Read

“A moving family drama.” (New York Post)

“[A]n evocative tale of coming of age in suburbia...Sophomores is equal parts funny and heart-rending and will be remembered long after high school or last call.” (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star)

“This book is excellent. It’s such a great story. It takes place in the ‘80s, in Dallas; think Dead Poets Society, coming of age. It’s funny, it’s also sad.... Highly recommend it.” (Dana Perino, host of The Five)

Unfinished story

i enjoy the story but i wish we would know what happened after he left and what happen to them as a family.

Welcome back to ‘87

I may be biased as an Ursuline grad who was in high school at the same time Sean attended Jesuit, but this was a fantastic book. I am not sure how he was able to recall such details of our youth in Dallas, Texas but it was all there for me to remember. Sean is a very talented writer and kept me wanting to know more about the Malone family. I also loved that he didn’t change all names in the book as I knew some of the characters.

Congrats, Sean on a great novel!

Enjoyable...

Growing up in the DFW metroplex, I wanted to really love this book. I was left just a bit short of that. too many loose ends for my taste but a fun read with some LOL moments.

Great Teachers

Pat Conroy fans will love this tale of a southern family experiencing some dysfunction. The core of this book for me resided in the protagonist's English teacher. We should all hope for teachers like that who inspire us and push us. To quote Conroy from The Lords of Discipline, "Bad teachers never touch me, good ones never leave me."

Not a fan of this!

Uninteresting story from the start. Just so boring! I have to say I was disappointed. The description of the book sounded interesting.

Pointless

A pointless story of a family in which not one of the characters does a thing to communicate or alter a single part of their miserable lives