The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth: Review

Possible mild spoilers ahead if you really know nothing about the story...

In fact this was one of those times when I kind of wished I’d known nothing about the story before starting, because I spent the first half of the book waiting for what I knew was going to happen to happen, which it didn’t till approximately the half way point.

Anyway leaving that aside, The Miseducation of Cameron Post is an undoubtedly good read. It’s a coming of age story beginning in 1989 when Cameron is 12, growing up in rural Montana. We follow Cameron’s life over several years - commencing with her experiencing tentative first kisses with best friend Irene and, almost simultaneously, the death of her parents in an accident. Not surprisingly, the trauma of the latter becomes somewhat associated with the former in young Cameron’s mind.

Now in the care of her grandmother and conservative, very religious Aunt Ruth, Cameron immerses herself in a world of movies and sports, hanging out with a group of boys following the departure of Irene. She attends Ruth’s fundamentalist church where the “sin” of homosexuality is preached, develops a relationship with summer visitor Lindsey and later falls in love with an alluring - but apparently straight - classmate, Coley Taylor. And it’s the fallout from this relationship that brings Cameron’s world crashing down, sent away by Ruth to be “de-gayed” at an extreme Christian residential school called Promise.

Cameron’s experiences at Promise and the friends she makes there make up the second half of the book and it’s a powerful read. The young people are supposedly helped to “overcome their sin” through faith - there is no shock treatment or extreme aversion therapy used - but the regime is nevertheless appalling. (And evidently - unsurprisingly- doesn’t work.) Students are encouraged to examine their pasts and taught “appropriate gender roles”... which for the girls means trips to a beauty salon. (Yes, really.) I can’t remember what the boys did - learn to fix cars, or something. Anyway it all makes for painful reading and the consequences, for some in particular, are devastating.

However, there are no real villains here - well, maybe Lydia is the closest. However misguided they are, characters like aunt Ruth and (head of Promise) Rick are following a genuine belief that they are doing the right - the only - thing, and acting in Cameron’s long term best interest. There’s no room for doubt in their minds and that’s frightening in itself.

Like I said it’s a powerful read and Cameron’s voice is engaging and compelling. The book made me laugh at times and made me very angry at others. It’s quite a long book but there were things I’d have liked more of - Margot, for instance, who seemed like an interesting character. And I’d love to know what happens to Cameron after the end.... (I need a sequel!)

Highly recommended.