Spinsters (1995)

Pagan Kennedy's debut novel follows two sheltered thirtysomethings who hit the road and come of age — belatedly — in the '60s. Driven by a good girl-bad girl dynamic, Spinsters lacks the subtle nuances and girlish devilry that made Stripping and Other Stories, the author's 1994 collection, so charming. Kennedy's attempt to parallel her characters' adult initiations with America's coming-of-age is strained, mainly because the historical backdrop against which she pitches her story is so generalized. But there is a quiet love story at the heart of this book that gives it depth, and Kennedy's affectionate portrayal of her hopelessly square spinsters is refreshing at a time when other Gen X authors are mired in hipness and anomie. Spinsters is a Thelma & Louise for teetotalers. B