A Separate Peace | John Knowles

A Separate Peace

Extended Synopsis

Set at a boys' boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, A Separate Peace stands as a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. The story follows Gene, a lonely, introverted intellectual, and Phineas, a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one fateful summer, like the global war raging across the ocean, forever banishes the innocence of these boys and their isolated world.

An American classic and an enduring bestseller for over three decades, John Knowles's masterpiece remains timeless in its psychological precision. It beautifully captures the intense internal conflicts, unspoken rivalries, and vulnerability of youth at a critical historical crossroads when the entire United States was losing its innocence to the second World War.

Reader Targeting

• Students and educators seeking an authoritative edition of a core academic curriculum text.
• Readers who enjoy character-driven psychological narratives and coming-of-age literary classics.
• Fans of twentieth-century historical fiction centering on home-front environments during World War II.

About the Author

John Knowles (1926–2001) was a distinguished American novelist whose writing drew heavily from his own experiences at boarding school during the wartime era. A Separate Peace is his most celebrated work, earning critical acclaim, widespread translation, and permanent placement in the canon of great American literature.

Accolades & Features

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read. This classic Scribner contemporary trade paperback features the complete original text block, customized historical discussion matrices, and comprehensive reading group guide resources.

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