Seventeenth Summer

It's 1942, and Angie has just graduated from a private high school in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. She's planning on going to college in Chicago, along with her sister Lorraine. Older sister Margaret has graduated, is engaged to Art, and working, while younger sister, Kitty, is ten. A chance encounter with Jack, who went to the public high school, eventually ends with him asking her for a date. The two go sailing on the lake along with Jack's friend, Swede, and enjoy talking. As the summer wears on, the two spend more and more time together, and Angie waits breathlessly for him to call her. There is a small misunderstanding when she goes out with Tony, and Jack avoids her-- Tony is a "fast boy", and everyone knows that Angie is not that kind of girl. The two manage to work out the misunderstanding. It's a slow, hot summer, and in between dates with Jack, Angie's activities are limited to chores at home like hanging out the laundry, mending, and helping with the Sunday roast and mashed potatoes. There is some concern about the man that Lorraine is dating, but Angie is too busy musing about how wonderful the summer is to think too much about how Martin treats her sister. While she has a good time with Jack, she has some concerns. He doesn't read much (he played sports in high school), and he isn't planning on going to college because he needs to help with the family bakery. Still, it's nice to go out with him, and to occasionally be kissed in broad daylight! When Jack tells her that he loves her, it's thrilling, but Angie can't see herself in a long term relationship with someone who clicks his spoon accidentally against his teeth when he's eating ice cream, even if he does break his dinner roll into four pieces. When the summer turns to fall, she realizes that life will go on without him, but is able to look back with fondness of her seventeenth summer.