A separate peace - John Knowles

John Knowles coming of age story of young boys at a New Hampshire boarding school. Set amidst the backdrop of World War II, the story involves two best friends: Gene and Finny. They are the best of friends, inseparable, doing everything together until tragedy strikes. How they face this tragedy and move forward is emblematic of not their generations, but rather their "year" - the graduates of 1944.

Think of it as the "Harry Potter" of its time, but without the girls, without the magic, without the monsters, without Voldemort, and without the English accents. Other than that, it is exactly like Harry Potter. And, much like Harry Potter, I would quite recommend it - warning, if you are going to read the book, do not read the quote below, it might spoil it for you!

I did not cry then or ever about Finny. I did not cry even when I stood watching him being lowered into his family's strait-laced burial ground outside Boston. I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case.