Coming of Age Stories

"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens is a classic coming-of-age novel that follows the life of Pip, a poor orphan, as he grows up, makes mistakes, and learns hard truths about wealth, love, and identity.

Bathsheba Everdene is a strong-willed, independent young woman who inherits her uncle’s large farm in rural England. As she manages the estate, she becomes the object of affection for three very different men, each representing a different type of love and future.

A former convict is released after 19 years of hard labor. Rejected by society, he’s shown compassion by a bishop, which inspires him to change his life.

A sensitive and intelligent boy growing up in late 19th-century Ireland, as he struggles to find his identity as an artist.

The narrator recalls his life from childhood to adulthood.

Twice-Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a collection of short stories.

A handsome, intelligent, and egotistical young man as he comes of age in early 20th-century America.

A young, naive Englishwoman who travels by ship from London to South America.

A young boy is disfigured by a group of child traffickers who carve a permanent smile into his face.

A young man grappling with identity and meaning in pre-war England.