They are the Gridley Girls, now and forever.

Meg Monahan is hosting the wedding of her best friend, Anne Calzaretta, while still keeping a secret she's not prepared to face, let alone share.

Meg, Anne, Jennifer, and Tonya were known as The Group in their rural town of Gridley, California, in the 1970s. Now living professional lives in Sacramento, they discover that in many ways they are still trapped by their high school reputations.

Fourteen-year-old Meg kept a secret journal she called The Virgin Diaries about her life as a Gridley Girl. Torn between her half-Mormon upbringing and her yearning for adventure, she felt like she just might lose her mind.

Anne seemed to have everything: captivating good looks, and an athletic body that excelled at everything from cheerleading to field hockey to swimming. But she, too, had a secret.

Jennifer Cone, a girl-next-door blonde, was every parent's dream. A nearly perfect Mormon girl raised in a strict, religious home, she was also Meg's only safe confidante at school.

Tonya Cena, a gorgeous self-described Afri-Mex-Italian, was the alpha female of The Group. Her larger-than-life personality kept the other girls in line during conflict.

In her debut novel, the first in a series based on true events, Meredith First tells a timeless story about the bonds of friendship, loss, betrayal, and the forgiveness that is within everyone.

The Gridley Girls Glossary of 1970s Pop Culture at the end of this book defines a generation to which everyone can relate.

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