Coming of Age Stories

A boy is born in a workhouse in a poor town. His mother dies after childbirth, leaving him an orphan.

"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.

The Happy Prince and Other Tales is a collection of short stories by Oscar Wilde. The book contains five fairy tales, each with its own plot and moral themes.

Each year, I post a tribute to honor service. The aim is to highlight groups that might not otherwise be recognized. This year, I took it a step further. The Dickin Medal reminds us that humans are not the only species capable of honor and commitment. It has been awarded 74 times to animals for “acts of conspicuous gallantry and heroism in war.” That is the case with the subject of this story. He epitomizes valor and selfless devotion to duty, and that is why I’ve chosen to tell his story.

This is a story of courage and perseverance under horrible circumstances. Seventy-seven Army and Navy nurses were captured when the Philippines fell to the Japanese. They were interned with 4,000 others at the Santo Tomas Camp in Manila. There, they provided life-saving medical care that led to them being called the Angels of Bataan. This is a coming-of-age story where the hero learns important life lessons from these dedicated women and finds love at the end.

Every 4th of July, I post a tribute to those who’ve served. The main character evolves from childhood to adulthood. That happens when you take the oath. I try to highlight lesser-known contributors so they are also memorialized, and this year’s story certainly fits that bill. Before researching this, my only knowledge of the 442nd RCT came courtesy of Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid, which is unfortunate, since those were real-life heroes and this is their true story. Please enjoy...

I post a story every July to honor the folks who've served. I try to focus on obscure people in each, not the heroes. This one is about the Women Air Service Pilots—the WASPs. Those brave women were true American patriots. But their story was hidden from all of us for over thirty years. The plot is a coming-of-age tale for children of the Greatest Generation… sort of a latter-day Pilgrim's Progress—and most of the characters are real. Please enjoy…

Please read part 1 of Volume 2 before starting this novel. The story picks up directly after the events of part 1. While training on the moon of Galsin, Ryan and his friends are beset by mysterious forces under the command of the Fallen. At the same time, Ryan's teacher, Eramar Razor, is on the trail of a death cult known as the Mages who are in league with the Fallen. Revelations abound as our heroes discover truths they would have preferred to remain hidden.

A coming of age story with a twist. Addle-brained Tommy works down at the feed store, stacking Purina and sweeping the floor. A Vietcong rocket scrambled his brains so thoroughly that was all he was capable of... or was it?

If happiness was measured in money there would be very few millionaires. This is a story about Dan Parker, a young man who starts his life as an adult with the odds stacked against him. Follow his journey of self discovery as he tries to achieve happiness. His story might make you wonder if you live next door to a millionaire. {Edit cleaned and reposted by TeNderLoin}