The Girls follows young women into a Manson-like cult
CBC News | Posted: July 21, 2016 1:02 PM | Last Updated: July 21, 2016
What kind of women would follow a cult leader like Charles Manson?
Emma Cline explores that question in her debut novel The Girls, which transports us back to the unsettled summer of 1969. Through the eyes of Evie, a lonely teenager in California, we enter a compelling circle of young women who live in a commune, on the grounds of a former ranch.
Emma Cline explores that question in her debut novel The Girls, which transports us back to the unsettled summer of 1969. Through the eyes of Evie, a lonely teenager in California, we enter a compelling circle of young women who live in a commune, on the grounds of a former ranch.
They follow a leader whose mystery and charisma are undeniable, but the pull toward the man at the centre is something of "red herring," says Cline. Evie's "proto-romance" with an older girl, her desire to be seen, and her search for identity all factor into her decision to join.
Today Cline joins guest host Stephen Quinn to discuss her story, which is already one of the most talked-about books of the season, and a possible film.
Today Cline joins guest host Stephen Quinn to discuss her story, which is already one of the most talked-about books of the season, and a possible film.
At 27, the writer finds herself close enough to the "heightened quality" of the teen years, but also far enough to reflect with some distance. Her narrator is an older woman looking back on a summer that meant a great deal, but is separate from the rest of her life.
"You're living at such a high emotional pitch as a teenager. Everything's life and death, and it's just exhausting," says Cline, recalling her diary.
"I had no ability to discern scale. Everything was either a nightmare or the best thing that ever happened. There was no grey area. And I think adulthood is all grey area — but that can be a little disappointing."