#88. The Silent Boy
The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry
Pages: 178
Finished: Oct. 2, 2007
Reason for Reading: I am a fan of Lois Lowry and hadn't read this one
First Published: 2003
Genre: children's fiction
Rating: 4/5
First Sentence:
Comments: This is a fictional memoir of an elderly woman who tells the story of her Pre World War I childhood and in particular her relationship with a boy who was "touched". We are never told what was wrong with the boy (I think in a effort to not apply modern day labels) but from the symptoms I came to believe he was autistic. This is a deceptively simple story. It is a sweet, quaint, nostalgic look at a time when telephones and cars were very new. Every chapter is illustrated with a photograph of the period which adds to the nostalgia. Slowly, as events unfold we become aware that something is not right and the ending is terribly tragic. In fact, we are warned on the opening page that this is a sad story, yet that warning slipped away from me as I was immersed in the simple lives of the characters. This is a book that you stagger away from and makes you think how something so awfully sad and tragic could happen.
This book was filed in the children's section of my library, and it is a short, easy read but I think the full force of the story would be much more appreciated by a YA.
Pages: 178
Finished: Oct. 2, 2007
Reason for Reading: I am a fan of Lois Lowry and hadn't read this one
First Published: 2003
Genre: children's fiction
Rating: 4/5
First Sentence:
I am a very old woman now.
Comments: This is a fictional memoir of an elderly woman who tells the story of her Pre World War I childhood and in particular her relationship with a boy who was "touched". We are never told what was wrong with the boy (I think in a effort to not apply modern day labels) but from the symptoms I came to believe he was autistic. This is a deceptively simple story. It is a sweet, quaint, nostalgic look at a time when telephones and cars were very new. Every chapter is illustrated with a photograph of the period which adds to the nostalgia. Slowly, as events unfold we become aware that something is not right and the ending is terribly tragic. In fact, we are warned on the opening page that this is a sad story, yet that warning slipped away from me as I was immersed in the simple lives of the characters. This is a book that you stagger away from and makes you think how something so awfully sad and tragic could happen.
This book was filed in the children's section of my library, and it is a short, easy read but I think the full force of the story would be much more appreciated by a YA.
I like Lois Lowry but I haven't read her in years. So many books! So little time....
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! I've been getting up to date with Lowry's more recent books this year.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very interesting book. I really have to give Lois Lowry a try.
ReplyDeleteI just read The Silent Boy as well. Lois Lowry has such a beautiful writing style. I've read Gossamer as well, and I look forward to reading The Giver and Number the Stars soon.
ReplyDelete