Anna Freud wrote in 1958, “There are few situations in life which are more difficult to cope with than an adolescent son or daughter during the attempt to liberate themselves.” In the intervening decades, the transition doesn’t appear to have gotten any easier which makes “Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions Into Adulthood” (Ballantine) such a welcome new resource. Author Lisa Damour, director of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls, draws on stories of girls and their families to discuss ways to have constructive conversations. She also advises parents on what is cause for worry and what is not.
JAN GARDNER
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