Camp Girls: Fireside Lessons on Friendship, Courage, and Loyalty

(Hardback)

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Description

Iris Krasnow started going to summer camp at age 5. She sat around a fire roasting marshmallows until they burned; chased fireflies that dotted the night sky; swam in the expansive Blue Lake; and made friends that have lasted a lifetime, learning lessons along the way that she follows to this day.Now decades later, she returned to Camp Agawak in Wisconsin as a staff member to help resurrect Agalog, the camp's defunct magazine that she wrote for as a child. She's been doing this every summer for five years, participating in the same activities she loved as a young girl now filled with the wisdom, perspective, and appreciation that comes with age. A nostalgic, reminiscent memoir written from the heart, CAMP GIRLS details the essential life skills that formed who Iris became, and also the feelings of belonging to a family, not of blood, but of history, loyalty, and tradition. For Iris and many others, camp is key to fulfillment and success in life.

Reviews

"Camp Girls is one of the most compelling and thought-provoking camp memoirs I have ever read. Iris Krasnow encapsulates the transformative essence of immersive summer camp experiences and also serves as a timely call-to-action for all parents. Findings from decades of camp research suggest that summer camp is an optimal context for social-emotional learning experiences which help young people thrive in school, in 21st century workplaces and in life. Iris's masterful storytelling had me laughing and crying while powerfully illuminating the lasting impacts of positive mindsets and skills nurtured in undistracted, human-centered, and adventurous camp communities."--Tom Rosenberg, President/CEO of American CampAssociation
"A heartwarmer. A nostalgic treat about a simpler time, it also offers a valuable message for today."--People
"A thoroughly enjoyable dip into nostalgia for the simpler times of youth."--Publishers Weekly
"In this love letter to summer camp, bestselling memoirist Krasnow (The Secret Lives of Wives, 2011) reflects on her experiences over the years...Former campers, particularly women, will revel in the nostalgia emanating from these pages."--Booklist
"Iris Krasnow brings us back to the place where memories were made, campfires were lit, songs were sung and friendships were formed. We didn't know it then, but those formative summers spent in cabins, lakes, and canoes made us into the athletes, artists, leaders, and loyal friends we are today. Reading Camp Girls is like finding that old camp photo album in your parent's basement and flipping through its pages with laughter and tears."--Betsy Fischer Martin, executive director of Women & Politics Institute at American University, former executive producer of Meet the Press, NBC News, camper at Camp Feliciana, Norwood Louisiana (1979-1983)

Author Bio

Iris Krasnow is a New York Times bestselling author, professor, and camp counselor. During the school year, she teaches journalism and gender studies at American University and spends summers at Camp Agawak. She's written Surrendering to Motherhood; Surrendering to Marriage; I Am My Mother's Daughter; The Secret Lives of Wives; and Sex After...Women Share How Intimacy Changes as Life Changes. She is a regular contributor to AARP's 'The Girlfriend' and the relationship sections of Huffington Post, in addition to writing for AARP Magazine and the AARP Bulletin, and giving a popular TedX Talk.