Bullying
seems to be a universal theme of much literature, both fiction and nonfiction …
not to mention real life. In Robert Dugoni's novel The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, the title
character as a child was meanly tagged as the “Devil Boy,” real name Sam Hill. The
irony in the novel is that he is not the bully in the book, he is a victim.
He has
been taunted by the Devil Boy nickname from the moment he entered school. It
was an understandable, though mean, immediate reaction to what his mother would
refer to as extraordinary: his eyes were the color red. His eyes scared people,
children, and adults, even the nurse in the delivery room. His eye color was an
extremely rare medical condition known as ocular albinism. People did not know
what it was, or if it was contagious. Its association with the devil made his
life tough. His family was devotedly Catholic, a condition that meant the
highest calling for your son would be that he’d grow up to be a Priest. They
realized right away that wasn’t going to happen – who wants to confess to a
Priest with penetrating red eyes?
That
reality did not however mean that he’d escape Catholic Schools, where the
taunting by classmates and Nuns was a problem. He survived childhood by
befriending two other misfit kids, one the only Black kid in the school, the
other a rebellious girl who truly would not grow up to be a Nun. These two
would become lifelong friends.
Another
student, however, was/is a bully, not only verbally, but physically as well. His
subplot is interesting. He is a text book example of what happens when “the system”
fails to punish bullies. Bullies grow up to be bullies and then choose
situations and occupations where they can continue to be bullies.
Skipping
ahead, Sam will grow up to be an Ophthalmologist.
Sam's family situation is major; this would be a great Mothers Day, or Fathers Day read. Additionally, there
are some significant and fascinating theology digressions in this book,
including a late in the novel trip when Sam takes both of his health failing
parents to Lourdes.
As is
often the case in professionally written books, there is a more than adequate humor
to be found throughout the book to cancel out the bad.
Recommendation:
Highly.
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