She’s Come Undone (1992), a novel by Wally Lamb, offers a darkly comedic narrative about a woman grappling with the lifelong consequences of being raised in a troubled family.

‘‘Paul’s Case’’ (1905), a short story by Willa Cather, explores the life of a young man who, similar to Frances in ‘‘Wunderkind,’’ yearns to break free from what he perceives as an ordinary life.

Mary Bray Pipher’s Reviving Ophelia (1994) delves into the challenges of female adolescence in modern America. Pipher, a clinical psychologist, addresses topics such as divorce, eating disorders, and the pressures of sexuality.

Considered perhaps McCullers’s most renowned work, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1940) narrates the tale of a young girl who discovers the essence of loneliness through her interactions with a group of societal misfits.

Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘‘Girl,’’ from her collection At the Bottom of the River (1983), reflects on a young woman's memories of her mother's guidance during her upbringing.