University of Nevada, Reno Mildred and Boris a Thesis Submitted In
University of Nevada, Reno Mildred and Boris A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in English by Christina Camarena Sarah Hulse/Thesis Advisor May, 2018 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL We recommend that the thesis prepared under our supervision by CHRISTINA CAMARENA Entitled Mildred And Boris be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS Sarah Hulse, Advisor Christopher Coake, Committee Member Jennifer Hill, Committee Member Daniel Enrique Perez, Graduate School Representative David W. Zeh, Ph.D., Dean, Graduate School May, 2018 i Abstract This novel is about two best friends and neighbors growing up in Hawthorne, Nevada. When Mildred’s mother abandons her at age twelve, she and Boris—whose professor father teaches in Moscow—attack the project of growing up in their own way, guided by their instincts, intelligence, imagination and an ever deepening bond. Adolescence brings unexpected changes when Mildred's mother reappears out of thin air, hoping to make up for lost time, and Mildred's life shoots off in an unexpected direction, as does Boris’s. They end up on opposite sides of the globe, but their friendship remains a lifeline, tethering them to one another across distance and time. In the wake of a potentially devastating situation, their friendship guides them through their greatest risks and difficulties. Over and over again, they learn that family and love isn’t always what you expect it to be, and friendship’s bonds can hold you up, even against the penultimate challenge.
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