Asylum [Paperback]

Nan Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

Captivating tale of a neglected boy looking for refugeTen-year-old Ian's parents are killed in a fire that Ian fears may have been his fault. Afraid of being arrested, he runs away and ducks into the first open door he sees. His hideout turns out to be a struggling inner-city church, and Ian is intrigued by the lives of his unwitting hosts. Meanwhile, Ian's aunt is horrified to discover that his parents' deaths were not an accident, and that their murderer is looking for Ian.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Allen's Asylum tells the story of 10-year-old Ian Lane, an Alabama boy whose parents die in a house fire while he is at a baby-sitter's. Seemingly, Ian's parents are such staggering slobs that they burned themselves up while on a drunk. Anyhow, Ian goes to live with kindly Aunt Jo, and Ian is happy with her until the day a grim-faced man comes to talk about the fire. The man scares Ian, and he runs away to Florida, where he finds refuge in a cavernous downtown church. Eventually, the mystery sorts itself out, but the charm of the book lies entirely with naive Ian's scramble to survive and his methodical piecing out of how the adult world works. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

SHORT BIO:
NAN CORBITT ALLEN is a writer and musician who has published more than eighty dramatic musicals, sketchbooks, and collections—most written in collaboration with her husband, Dennis. A multiple Dove Award nominee, Nan speaks nationally at conferences and seminars. The Allens have two sons and live in Tennessee.
c.2004

LONGER BIO:
NAN CORBITT ALLEN is a writer and musician with over 80 published dramatic musicals, sketch books, and collections to her credit.  A multiple Dove Award nominee, Nan’s lyrics and dramas have been performed all over the U.S. and the world.  She leads seminars on writing and has taught at women’s and marriage conferences.  Nan is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Gospel Music Association (GMA).  Most of her works were done in collaboration with her husband, Dennis.  The couple has two sons and live in Tennessee.
5/03

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802411177
• ISBN-13: 978-0802411174
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,599,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Asylum, August 16, 2004

By 

Groovy 1 (Largo, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asylum (Paperback)

What an absolutely fascinating book! A child loses his family and is forced to live with an Aunt he hardly knows. He feels responsible for the fire that took his parents' lives. He catches bits of conversation that he misinterprets and thinks the cops have found out that he killed his parents. He runs away and becomes the equivalent of a church mouse. This book is a heart wrenching look at what it is to be young & alone & coming to terms with your first experience of being loved, which is what you have always wanted anyway. Buy it, love it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a good book!, January 31, 2006

By 

Kyle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asylum (Paperback)

Really, I love this book. I bought it a few weeks ago and now I read a chapter or two everynight. Its a very interesting book, and it is hard to put down after reading for a bit. I just really like it, it has lots of detail and really good story. I would recommend this book to anyone, buy it.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Would make a better movie, March 5, 2007

By 

Suzanne Carty "blanc noir" (Rossville, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asylum (Paperback)

I picked this book up in the library for my weekend read. After I finished it I felt like I had been cheated out of my bingo prize. It is an easy read. It is full of distracting devices that don't really work. We are to believe that a 10 year old raised in the Southeastern USA has never heard of Jesus. The same 10 year old uses oddly adult terms from time to time that are not consistant with his language level.

The religious framework is on virtually every page but is fairly low key. Christians are protrayed as gentle good folk, worrying and praying with each other and constantly eating. On a more troubling note, the book is sexist on a not too subtle level. The star is male (10 year old Ian), the supporting hero figures are male, all the good information comes from males (a homeless man, a second cop, even the church janitor). Women make babies, bake, worry, pray and not much else. Even one woman in a real world role would have improved this story.

While I think this book is a waste as adult reading material, with some minor tweaking it could be a very good movie. Usually movies ruin the feel and flavor of a book, in this case it would improve it. I would probably go see it.