Chocolates for breakfast : a novel

This is the story of Courtney Farrell, the daughter of Sondra, a fading Hollywood actress, and Robbie, a wealthy publisher. Her parents are divorced and she attends an all girls boarding school. While at the school, she develops a crush on her English teacher, Miss Rosen, and the two become friends. However, both Courtney's best friend Janet and the school faculty disapprove of the relationship - which has definite lesbian overtones - and the two have to break off their friendship. Depressed, Courtney goes to live with her mother, who is looking for work. Courtney has no real supervision and that is where the trouble starts. Despite how grown up and sophisticated she likes to act, she is just 15 years old and knows little of the real world. She gets a crash course in just how cruel life can be.

There are a lot of comparisons between this book and "Bonjour Tristesse" by Francoise Sagan. They came out within two years of each other (Sagan's was first in 1954). Both authors were teenagers and both featured upper middle class to upper class teenage girls dealing with sexuality, self-centered (and in Cecile's case, amoral) parents, and little to no guidance. Both girls have to figure things out for themselves and they make some bad, even disastrous choices along the way. However, I think Courtney Farrell of "Chocolates" comes out better than Cecile does. "Chocolates" ends on a more hopeful note than "Tristesse," which has always struck me as sad as its title. Courtney has learned from her mistakes and comes out of the experience more mature and self-reliant, while Cecile seems to be repeating herself and copying her father. I like "Tristesse," but I don't like Cecile, especially by the end of the book. However, I do like Courtney. Despite everything that happens, I can still relate to her, though her life is very different than my own.

It's a shame that this book was out of print for more than 45 years. When it first came out in 1956, it was an international hit and published in several languages. Now it is time that reads rediscover it.

Very recommended.