This unforgettable memoir, by one of our most gifted writers, introduces us to the young Toby Wolff, by turns tough and vulnerable, crafty and bumbling, and ultimately winning. Separated by divorce from his father and brother, Toby and his mother are constantly on the move, yet they develop an extraordinarily close, almost telepathic relationship. As Toby fights for identity and self-respect against the unrelenting hostility of a new stepfather, his experiences are at once poignant and comical, and Wolff does a masterful job of re-creating the frustrations and cruelties of adolescence. His various schemes - running away to Alaska, forging checks, and stealing cars - lead eventually to an act of outrageous self-invention that releases him into a new world of possibility.
Sandra D. (bookcrazychick) from FORT SCOTT, KS wrote on 8/1/2006...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very good book. Made into a very good movie also.
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Irina D. (peapod) from FLUSHING, NY wrote on 8/4/2006...
Memoir of a boy in the 1950's. Separated by divorce from his father and brother, Toby and his mother are constantly on the move. As he fights for identity and self-respect against the unrelenting hostility of a new stepfather, his experiences are at once poignant and comical, and Wolff masterfully re-creates the frustrations, cruelties, and joys of adolescence.
John O. (buzzby) from LA QUINTA, CA wrote on 6/10/2006...
The summary set out above here at PBS is a lot more positive than the book.
Marian A. from FARMVILLE, VA wrote on 3/14/2006...
A very interesting memoir about a young man growing up in the northwest.
Amy C. from LAWRENCE, KS wrote on 9/28/2005...
Good writing style, not an amazing memoir from my point of view. But a lot of people in my book club LOVED it! Happy Reading!