The Book of Samuel: A Novel [Paperback]

Erik Raschke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2009

Samuel Gerard is just your average teen: he hangs out at the bike jumps or at the mall with his friends, finds creative ways to avoid schoolwork, and repeatedly asks his parents questions that he knows have no answer.  But when his dad leaves on a quest to ‘save the world,’ Samuel’s life takes a turn – a big turn.

Starting the day after his father leaves, Samuel finds himself on a dizzying, often humorous series of adventures, from being covered in leeches to accidentally blowing up his friend’s garage, from cheering up his mom to supervising his feisty grandma, from making out with the most popular girl in school to a life-changing fight with school bullies.  As Samuel tries to sort out the world around him, he gradually finds himself at crossroads of religion and community, family and friends, newfound love and deep-seated hatred, all of which threatens to pull apart his neighborhood – and his family.  And in the end, when violence in the community comes to a frightening peak, Samuel is faced with a tough choice: let things continue on a dangerous path, or make a personal sacrifice for peace?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Twelve-year-old Samuel's life is forever changed when his zealot father abandons the family in the name of Jesus. Samuel's mother struggles to maintain hope and a happy home in the face of her husband's blind religious devotion and ultimate desertion. Samuel hears his father's message about fighting evil, but he is also surrounded by his grandmother's racist remarks and has his own encounters with Mexican kids in their Denver community. Soon the struggle between good and evil plays out in his personal life and he's confused about where he stands. After violence repeatedly erupts, Samuel comes to learn that prejudice can be unlearned, that everyone has demons, and that true goodness comes from a place of love and forgiveness. Despite some superfluous narrative that bogs the pace down, Raschke's story is sometimes amusing, but Samuel's fight to survive in the crosshairs of religion and racism is excruciating and poignant. Samuel will leave readers wanting to look at life with wider eyes and a more open heart.—Terri Clark, Smoky Hill Library, Centennial, CO
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From Booklist

Raschke’s first novel, a near-nostalgia piece set in 1980s Denver, deftly juggles religious fervor, family dysfunction, racial tension, and middle-school impishness. Samuel’s father decides that his time is better spent spreading the wisdom of the Bible than attending to his family, leaving the young teen alone with his long-suffering mother. As Samuel spends his time hanging out with his two best friends, navigating the perilous waters of school, he dangerously misunderstands religion and fumbles with racism, trying to make sense of the confusing swirls of his social and familial life. The tone of Samuel’s first-person narration unevenly wavers between that of an adult reminiscing and an adolescent plunging through experiences firsthand, and the 1980s cultural references may distance readers. Nevertheless, Raschke is a fine writer. He works with a palette of decidedly heavy issues but applies them with such an unfailingly light hand that Samuel’s minor and major struggles ring true. An entertaining and thoughtful story that leaves Samuel dangling on the precipice of coming-of-age. Grades 6-9. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312379692
• ISBN-13: 978-0312379698
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,129,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Erik Raschke was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He received his B.A. in English from Earlham College and his M.A. in creative writing from the City College of New York. He studied Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and, later, served in Armenia as a Peace Corps volunteer. He is a certified teacher with the New York Board of Education where he taught English to children from the Bronx and upper Manhattan. He currently lives with his family in Amsterdam. You can see a short documentary about how his life is connected to the main character of Samuel in his first novel The Book of Samuel: www.thebookofsamuel.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, authentic and heartwarming., October 17, 2009

By 

E. A. Verhoeff "ellen verhoeff" (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Book of Samuel: A Novel (Paperback)

Wonderful new book. I read it in one weekend. Funny, authentic and heartwarming. I love the main character and the way he deals with the world. As a thirteen year old he looks at small and big issues in the same careful way, which is very refreshing. The Book of Samuel is an insightful portrayal of the moral confusion of the 80s, in a Christian country, ruled by Reagan and televised hysteria, that still takes most of its moral cues from ancient biblical texts. READ!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making Peace in Middle School, December 4, 2009

By 

Mary Landrum - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Book of Samuel: A Novel (Paperback)

Samuel Gerard is growing up in Denver in the 1980s. His mom is skeptical about religion, while his dad rigorously studies the Bible and attempts to share it with others. One day Dad leaves, and Samuel is left to find his way between these two extreme approaches to religion. Meanwhile, he and his best friends have a growing beef with some Mexican kids who have started using their bike jumps. While all of this sounds heavy, Raschke skillfully shows how Samuel navigates social and emotional challenges while maintaining a normal junior-high existence filled with hijinks and shenanigans. He also demonstrates that although it's not easy to find peace with oneself, or with the world around you, the effort and discipline required will help Samuel grow into a stronger, kinder man. Erik Raschke and I both graduated from Earlham College, a small liberal arts school affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. Quakers believe in nonviolence and peaceful conflict resolution. I think Raschkie has done a great job of showing how, although it can be hard to be a peacemaker, all of us can and must do so.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting and provocative read, November 25, 2009

By 

Dolores Arrington "Misha" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Book of Samuel: A Novel (Paperback)

Erik Raschke's novel incorporates the dilemmas of typical teenagers in their search for acceptance in community and environment. The author expertly weaves his story of personal experiences with the fictional. However, the underlying message the author conveys is one of protagonist vs. antagonist and Samuel's task to decide which of the two he should follow. The Book of Samuel is an exciting read and leaves one anticipating future writings. I recommend it to all ages because the author's message can be applied to everyone.