Following in the footsteps of the highly successful Coming of Age in America, this collection of twenty-four stories from around the world is a wonderful introduction to literature rarely available to American readers. Editors Faith Adiele and Mary Frosch magnificently chart the global quest for identity, and make a strong case for the personal and political importance of sharing our stories as they consider whether coming of age is a Western—or universal—concept.

Featuring an array of voices from every continent, this anthology includes luminaries like Ben Okri and Chang-rae Lee, as well as recent bestsellers Marjane Satrapi and Alexandra Fuller, in addition to a variety of authors renowned abroad but less well known to North American audiences. The diversity extends to form, encompassing fiction and memoir, graphics, lyric prose, and tales in pidgin and patois.

The world presented is complex and current, some inhabitants routinely switching country and language, others trapped by global events that shape us all. Detailed introductions provide historical and cultural context, particularly for Africa and the Muslim world.