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Cover of Sag Harbor

Literary Fiction · 2009 · PG-13

Sag Harbor

by Colson Whitehead

Black teenagers in the Hamptons, 1985 — a summer of becoming.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FINALIST • From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys: a hilarious and supremely original novel set in the Hamptons in the 1980s, "a tenderhearted coming-of-age story fused with a sharp look at the intersections of race and class” (The New York Times). Benji Cooper is one of the few Black students at an elite prep school in Manhattan. But every summer, Benji escapes to the Hamptons, to Sag Harbor, where a small community of Black professionals have built a world of their own. The summer of ’85 won’t b

For14+GenreLiterary FictionLength274 pagesRead time~7.5 hours

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Barely any

Teen violence; brief confrontations

Language

Some

Strong language throughout

Sexual Content

Barely any

Teen romantic interest; no explicit content

Substance Use

Some

Teen drinking

Emotional Intensity

Barely any

Themes of Black identity, class, and the peculiar world of the Black Hamptons

What this book is about

Whitehead's 2009 coming-of-age novel follows Benji Cooper through the summer of 1985 in Sag Harbor, a historically Black beach community in the Hamptons. Warm, funny, and honest about race and adolescence. Features teen language and drinking. For older teens and adults.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

Strong language

Teen drinking

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