Mary Jane
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-11 09:51:49
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jessica Anya Blau
- ISBN：0063052296
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
"Almost Famous" meets Daisy Jones and the Six in this funny， wise， and tender novel about a fourteen-year-old girl’s coming of age in 1970s Baltimore， caught between her strait-laced family and the progressive family she nannies for—who happen to be secretly hiding a famous rock star and his movie star wife for the summer。
In 1970s Baltimore， fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother， singing in her church choir， and enjoying her family’s subscription to the Broadway Show Tunes of the Month record club。 Shy， quiet， and bookish， she’s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor。 A respectable job， Mary Jane’s mother says。 In a respectable house。
The house may look respectable on the outside， but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface， IMPEACHMENT: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors， cereal and takeout for dinner。 And even more troublesome （were Mary Jane’s mother to know， which she does not）: The doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job—helping a famous rock star dry out。 A week after Mary Jane starts， the rock star and his movie star wife move in。
Over the course of the summer， Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule， and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex， drugs， and rock-and-roll （not to mention group therapy）。 Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible， Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life， and what kind of person she’s going to be。
In 1970s Baltimore， fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother， singing in her church choir， and enjoying her family’s subscription to the Broadway Show Tunes of the Month record club。 Shy， quiet， and bookish， she’s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor。 A respectable job， Mary Jane’s mother says。 In a respectable house。
The house may look respectable on the outside， but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess: clutter on every surface， IMPEACHMENT: Now More Than Ever bumper stickers on the doors， cereal and takeout for dinner。 And even more troublesome （were Mary Jane’s mother to know， which she does not）: The doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job—helping a famous rock star dry out。 A week after Mary Jane starts， the rock star and his movie star wife move in。
Over the course of the summer， Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule， and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex， drugs， and rock-and-roll （not to mention group therapy）。 Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible， Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life， and what kind of person she’s going to be。
Reviews
Carol
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A great book to enjoy on a hot summer's day。 A great book to enjoy on a hot summer's day。 。。。more
Denise K。
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I have had trouble discovering my fated reading list this year （unlike last year） but， happily， I stumbled upon this juicy， easy read just in time for summer。 And when I say juicy， I mean it — you could make a drinking game out of how many times a body part is mentioned。 It's the perfect beach or poolside read with its believable characters and fun plot， and it moves quickly enough to finish over a long weekend。 Sometimes， a silly book is all you need！ I have had trouble discovering my fated reading list this year （unlike last year） but， happily， I stumbled upon this juicy， easy read just in time for summer。 And when I say juicy， I mean it — you could make a drinking game out of how many times a body part is mentioned。 It's the perfect beach or poolside read with its believable characters and fun plot， and it moves quickly enough to finish over a long weekend。 Sometimes， a silly book is all you need！ 。。。more
Phyllis Bernstein
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3。5 stars （rounded up on star chart）。 A cute coming of age story。 Takes place in 1970’s Baltimore。 Mary Jane， being raised in a strict household， gets a nanny job one summer in a very lax household。 Good references to the 1970’s。 It was a bit of a stretch in the story to expect a 14 year old to be so mature that she can change the disorganization of another’s household。 Overall， good story
Angela M
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3。5 stars rounded up 。
Christy
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My favorite book so far this year！ Great coming of age story and coming into your own。
Joe Wabe
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"Mary Jane， she'll feed you; and never gonna bleed you" It was a nice odyssey through the 70's， full of music， fame， weed， birds in the nest and emotional struggles。 Mary Jane who at first seemed to be a fragile and timid teen became the perfect fertilizer for the blooming of inner sentiments in the adults farm。 Mary Jane: a perfect song title and a good summer's read。 "Mary Jane， she'll feed you; and never gonna bleed you" It was a nice odyssey through the 70's， full of music， fame， weed， birds in the nest and emotional struggles。 Mary Jane who at first seemed to be a fragile and timid teen became the perfect fertilizer for the blooming of inner sentiments in the adults farm。 Mary Jane: a perfect song title and a good summer's read。 。。。more
Arlene Allen
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Loved this！ I was Mary Jane’s age in 1975 and this was like traveling back in time！
Sarah Kluemper
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I never write actual reviews for books， but felt this needed explanation。 First of all， I feel the need to preface by stating that one of my favorite movies is “That Thing You Do！”。 Why？ Because I distinctly remember my father saying he hated the movie because “nothing happened！” Lol Onto Mary Jane。 There is a central focus but no twist， no huge plot line， etc。 It’s a novel that is slow going and nothing really stands out。 I chose to read based on the Nick Hornby review on the cover， but don’t f I never write actual reviews for books， but felt this needed explanation。 First of all， I feel the need to preface by stating that one of my favorite movies is “That Thing You Do！”。 Why？ Because I distinctly remember my father saying he hated the movie because “nothing happened！” Lol Onto Mary Jane。 There is a central focus but no twist， no huge plot line， etc。 It’s a novel that is slow going and nothing really stands out。 I chose to read based on the Nick Hornby review on the cover， but don’t fully compare it to Hornby （although I would say it wants to be a bit like Juliet， Naked， it never gets there）。 I was never overwhelmed or shocked by this book， but it charmed the shit out of me。 I could clearly see the characters。 I felt the emotions of Izzy， Jimmy， Sheba， and Mary Jane clearly。 This book is， admittedly， not one that will stick with me strongly， but it was a great and adorable read that I felt enough to write a review about。 It is a calming and gentle tour though different worlds in the 1970’s。 。。。more
Jolynn
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Loved this book！！ Such a good all around fictional story。 I fell in love and rooted for Mary Jane through the whole story。 Actually， I really liked all the characters in the story and felt that the author did a great job blending them together。 Highly recommend！！ Can’t wait to read more from this author！
Olive Martini jones
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Reads like a bad YA novel。
Venessa ✨
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lol i have never been so let down by a 5-star prediction in my lifesince when is it okay for an adult to offer a 14-year-old drugs？ or to share details about their sex life？ there's a difference between "being progressive" and being inappropriate with minorsalso， this family hired a teen nanny and expected her to shop， cook 3 meals a day for six people， and clean up messes after dramatic fights， all while minding their 5-year-old child all daywhile i understand why mary jane found all of this to lol i have never been so let down by a 5-star prediction in my lifesince when is it okay for an adult to offer a 14-year-old drugs？ or to share details about their sex life？ there's a difference between "being progressive" and being inappropriate with minorsalso， this family hired a teen nanny and expected her to shop， cook 3 meals a day for six people， and clean up messes after dramatic fights， all while minding their 5-year-old child all daywhile i understand why mary jane found all of this to be exciting， an outsider to the situation can clearly see how fucked up and uncomfortable this isi'm not saying i didn't like this book， but i was angered at how we were supposed to find all of this to be charming， and some of the commentary i was hoping for was lacking 。。。more
Rachel
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This was a nice， light read。 I picked it up having read The Nightingale right before it。
Rebecca Spielman
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4。5
Heather
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Mary Jane is a fourteen-year-old in 1970s Baltimore who loves to cook with her mother， sing in the church choir， and listen to show tunes albums。 She's always been a bit sheltered， so she jumps at the chance to become a summer nanny for a local doctor。 Mary Jane expects to be working in a respectable home with a respectable family， but what she walks into can only be described as a circus。 The Cones are the complete opposite of Mary Jane's family。 They're loud， untidy， carefree in their affectio Mary Jane is a fourteen-year-old in 1970s Baltimore who loves to cook with her mother， sing in the church choir， and listen to show tunes albums。 She's always been a bit sheltered， so she jumps at the chance to become a summer nanny for a local doctor。 Mary Jane expects to be working in a respectable home with a respectable family， but what she walks into can only be described as a circus。 The Cones are the complete opposite of Mary Jane's family。 They're loud， untidy， carefree in their affection-- they even walk around barefoot！ As if that wasn't shocking enough， Dr。 Cone's patient-- a famous rock star hoping to get clean-- and his wife have also moved in for the summer。 While Mary Jane introduces family dinners and cleaning to the household， she gets a front-row look into the liberal world of sex， drugs， and group therapy。 By the end of the summer， everything Mary Jane has ever been taught will be turned on its head and she'll learn that there are different ways to view the world and how one doesn't need to be pigeonholed to one ideal their entire life。 If I'm being very honest， not a whole lot happens in this book， but I couldn't get enough。 Mary Jane is this young timid girl who was raised in this very conservative almost oppressive family where she never felt like she could express herself， and then she starts working for the Cones who are unlike anyone she's ever met before。 Suddenly， she's thrust into this world where people can be whoever they want to be and act however they want， and it allows her to feel free for the first time in her life。 I absolutely loved the dynamic between Mary Jane and the Cones （especially the precocious Izzy）， as well as Jimmy and Sheba， the rock star and his wife that Dr。 Cone is treating。 They're all so open and have this lust for life that is so addictive， and it opens Mary Jane up and helps her blossom into her own person rather than who her parents want her to be。 Everyone can relate to that adolescent feeling of not fitting in or not knowing what to make of your life， and Blau crafted that into such a beautiful coming-of-age story that is completely unputdownable and just such a joy to read。 。。。more
Lisa
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Sweet book with lovable characters
Linz Baker
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A captivating coming-of-age story that juxtaposes traditional and modern ways of living in the 70s。 Set to a backdrop of great music， this story becomes a bit of an ear worm。 It was a bit slow to at the beginning， but by the end I felt surprisingly invested in the characters and the unusual family-by-choice that they had created。 It made me long for lazy， hot teenage summers full of angst， reflection， and transformation that begin to shape the way you want to live as an adult。 4。5 ⭐️
Zoe
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Highly recommend the audio book the song Mary Jane plays at the end🎶
Pennie McInnes
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4。5 - I really loved this book！ I could picture the characters， feel The Cones house and adoration Mary Jane had for them all。 I expect this to be a movie。 💕
Alisa
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This was really enjoyable all the way through。 I loved the characters and the narrator is one of the best I’ve heard。 She does a child’s voice often， which is normally an audiobook deal-breaker for me， but it’s more tolerable here。 （Although still not necessary， in my opinion。）
Jess Keys
，
writing and storyline felt juvenile and couldn’t keep my interest。 not at all like Daisy Jones and the Six
Geri
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I enjoyed the story and love the main character。 There is quite a bit of profanity （which seems unnecessary IMO）。
Sarah McGrath
，
Oh I just adored this book！ You’re put right into the Oxford-shoes of 14-year-old Mary Jane。 An only child of strict， no-nonsense parents gets a job as a nanny for a family in the neighborhood for the summer。 Where Mary Jane’s house is scheduled meals with just the right amount of butter and salt and nothing out of place， the Cone’s home is chaos， mess， takeout food， and family dynamics much different than Mary Jane’s own。 You not only fall in love with Mary Jane in this coming-of-age novel… the Oh I just adored this book！ You’re put right into the Oxford-shoes of 14-year-old Mary Jane。 An only child of strict， no-nonsense parents gets a job as a nanny for a family in the neighborhood for the summer。 Where Mary Jane’s house is scheduled meals with just the right amount of butter and salt and nothing out of place， the Cone’s home is chaos， mess， takeout food， and family dynamics much different than Mary Jane’s own。 You not only fall in love with Mary Jane in this coming-of-age novel… the entire Cone family， especially Izzy， are funny and loveable。 The stark contrast between Mary Jane’s sterile parents and the affection and love she receives from the family she nannies for is evident。 I thought this book brought just enough depth while also keeping it engaging and fun。 I feel like I could have been Mary Jane if I had been born 3 decades earlier。 Loved it。 。。。more
Terris
，
I really enjoyed this story of 14-year-old Mary Jane's experience of being a summer nanny in the 1970's to four-year-old Izzy in the home of a psychiatrist and his wife。 Mary Jane comes from a very conservative home where everything is done in a particular way， and the way their family looks to the people in their community makes a lot of difference。 By contrast， the doctor and his wife are very liberal and what other people think about them does not even come to their minds。 Mary Jane is consta I really enjoyed this story of 14-year-old Mary Jane's experience of being a summer nanny in the 1970's to four-year-old Izzy in the home of a psychiatrist and his wife。 Mary Jane comes from a very conservative home where everything is done in a particular way， and the way their family looks to the people in their community makes a lot of difference。 By contrast， the doctor and his wife are very liberal and what other people think about them does not even come to their minds。 Mary Jane is constantly surprised by the difference in the way these people live compared to how her parents have taught her things must be。 But when a famous couple comes to live with the doctor and his family for the summer to be treated for addiction， the story really hits the fan and the real excitement begins！ What I liked best was that it was such a heartwarming tale。 With Mary Jane trying to do her best for Izzy， learning about how different people live and have different expectations of life。 Of course， there is a dramatic climax at the end but it only makes the story better。 I was very pleased and satisfied with this book， its story， descriptions， ending -- everything！ The only thing I didn't like was that I just didn't want it to end！！I highly recommend this one！ :） 。。。more
Jill
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Mary Jane thought she was just babysitting for the summer until she meets the family that she's working for。 They are everything that her family is not。 They are easy going， fly by the seat of their pants， messy， sloppy live for the day people。 As MJ spends more time with them she starts to appreciated the easiness of their lifestyle。 She hides things from her parents so she can enjoy her easy lifestyle when she's away。 As all good things must come to end， so must summer！ Mary Jane thought she was just babysitting for the summer until she meets the family that she's working for。 They are everything that her family is not。 They are easy going， fly by the seat of their pants， messy， sloppy live for the day people。 As MJ spends more time with them she starts to appreciated the easiness of their lifestyle。 She hides things from her parents so she can enjoy her easy lifestyle when she's away。 As all good things must come to end， so must summer！ 。。。more
Kerry
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This audio was a sheer joy to listen to。 It is a coming of age story for a 14 year old straight laced girl from Baltimore。 She gets a summer job as a nanny and her world explodes。 She has a strength of character to remain true to who she is while learning that there are many ways the world works re: friendships， marriages， house keeping， child raising and families。 One summer seems a short time frame for all the changes that take place but it is easy to remember how pivotal events can be in chan This audio was a sheer joy to listen to。 It is a coming of age story for a 14 year old straight laced girl from Baltimore。 She gets a summer job as a nanny and her world explodes。 She has a strength of character to remain true to who she is while learning that there are many ways the world works re: friendships， marriages， house keeping， child raising and families。 One summer seems a short time frame for all the changes that take place but it is easy to remember how pivotal events can be in changing how a young person sees themself。 Mary Jane is a beautiful conflicted character， though at times she seemed too good to be true along with other members in this novel， it was so refreshing to have such a feel good story to listen to。Five big stars for a wonderful summer read。 The audio is so good I would encourage you to listen rather than read this story。 I was sorry it had to end but the surprise at the end was a special treat。 I'm still smiling。 。。。more
Mary Jo
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I love， love， loved this book！ It was literally magic to me bringing me back to the days of my childhood in the 70’s。 The music and being the “little mama” to all the kids younger than me。 I always cared for them while the grown ups did whatever they did （nothing like in the book though lol）In this book’s case， the grown ups learn a lot from Mary Jane as she seems to be the mature responsible one at times。 But then she also benefits from her relationships with the Cone family and Jimmy and Sheba I love， love， loved this book！ It was literally magic to me bringing me back to the days of my childhood in the 70’s。 The music and being the “little mama” to all the kids younger than me。 I always cared for them while the grown ups did whatever they did （nothing like in the book though lol）In this book’s case， the grown ups learn a lot from Mary Jane as she seems to be the mature responsible one at times。 But then she also benefits from her relationships with the Cone family and Jimmy and Sheba as well。 This in turn helps her relationship with her mom。This book definitely touches on the racism and stereotypes that were then and unfortunately still are so common to a certain subset of people。 I found myself wanting to shake some sense into Mary Jane’s parents a few times。The ending was perfect though and gave me chills as o read the last few pages。 It looks like Mary Jane’s mom learned a few things as well from her daughter :） 。。。more
Hannah Jackson
，
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this novel。 This novel is a wonderful escape into the 70’s， complete with sex， drugs， and rock and roll。 Mary Jane is a young teenage girl living a small town life who gets a gig babysitting for the Cone household。 She soon finds out that they are hosting a rockstar and his movie star wife for psychological treatment。 Mary Jane is soon wrapped up in this new world， learning about what love and life should Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this novel。 This novel is a wonderful escape into the 70’s， complete with sex， drugs， and rock and roll。 Mary Jane is a young teenage girl living a small town life who gets a gig babysitting for the Cone household。 She soon finds out that they are hosting a rockstar and his movie star wife for psychological treatment。 Mary Jane is soon wrapped up in this new world， learning about what love and life should really look like。 This is a beautiful story that captures the very essence of coming-of-age stories。 To anyone who adores a good story， this novel is for you。 。。。more
Yasmine Brooke
，
If I could give this book more than a 5 star， I would。
Abbie
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I really want to give this 3 stars because I did like the first 3rd of the novel。 The character of Mary Jane reminds me of myself and my upbringing。 But then the novel petered out and became vague。 The ending was too much of a rushed "happily ever after" scenario。 To me， the ending wasn't consistent with some of the characters as they were written in the beginning。 I thought it ended too abruptly， hence the 2 star rating。 I really want to give this 3 stars because I did like the first 3rd of the novel。 The character of Mary Jane reminds me of myself and my upbringing。 But then the novel petered out and became vague。 The ending was too much of a rushed "happily ever after" scenario。 To me， the ending wasn't consistent with some of the characters as they were written in the beginning。 I thought it ended too abruptly， hence the 2 star rating。 。。。more
Yonaira
，
4。5 stars rounded up。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Mary Jane
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Mary Jane&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Mary Jane&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0