Customer Reviews

The Book of Samuel: A Novel

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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!

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.

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.

This novel made me feel young again (not an easy task).

It made me feel how exilerating, confounding, humiliating and oddly funny it is to be young and growing up in America. It's gipping, wry, and a delight, not only for its characters and moving plot, but also for Raschke's great ability to draw large pictures by using just the tiniest of details.

Raschke pulls us into and through an adolescene on the verge of a cliff: a boy trying to make sense of his fractured world, to "do the right thing" and the cool thing at the same time, to find the path for living--all guided by human and faulted role models. Brilliant.

And funny. Through Samuel's often naive voice, we get an ironic, sometimes shocking picture of our uniquely extreme and often violent American youth.

The Book of Samuel made me want to be young again--even though being young involves great pain and wild wonder.

I guess that's the point. Read it.

The Book of Samuel is a wonderful reflection on the trials of being a child in our society. Without trivializing them, Raschke humorously deals with the very intense themes of familial separation, isolation, racism, depression and teenage angst. Set in Denver in the 1980s, Samuel Gerard aims to be a bridge between his eccentric and estranged parents. He tries to bring a dysfunctional family back together, and tries to find solace in playing with his friends. Unfortunately, the other kids he knows are all entwined in sad situations as well, and Samuel's narrative reads like a plea for help amidst a world that cannot hear him. The work is loaded with now anachronistic pop-cultural references and slang that transported me back to my own youth almost 30 years ago, and made me feel close to the characters. While in some ways this book reminded me of Doyle's Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and Sherman Alexie's Flight, it is original and poignant and should be read on its own terms. Definitely a great first novel with substance and promise.

The freedom of summer is what any kid lives for, especially Samuel Gerard. While Samuel roams around on his bike, eats ice cream, and generally tries not to get in too much trouble, the world around him begins to change as the Mexicans move in and start taking over. Samuel and his best friends, Jonathan and Jesse, don't take too kindly to these unwelcomed pests. Home life isn't easy for Samuel, either. His father appears to have gone off the deep end and spends all day inside a canvas army tent in the backyard reading scripture from the Bible. Plus, there is Samuel's live-in grandmother who hates everyone and lets them know it. Summer isn't turning out exactly the way Samuel imagined.

BOOM! An explosion sets off a chain of events that slowly begin to spiral out of control. Samuel's father investigates the cause of the explosion --- a gas leak --- and immediately has a revelation to leave home to preach against evil. The rest of the summer is filled with Samuel's mother fighting against an emotional breakdown while struggling to maintain normalcy. Jonathan, Jesse and Samuel get into numerous fights with the Mexicans and plot revenge almost on a daily basis. Then grandma has a stroke and is forced into a nursing home. Samuel thinks that life couldn't get any crazier --- except this is only the beginning.

Fatherless, Samuel begins a new school year. School appears to be the same until he starts noticing small, uninvited changes. The Mexicans' invasion has spread to the school, and Samuel has a run-in with the school's biggest bully, Saula Sobinski. Previously off of Saula's radar, the altercation between the two will forever change their relationship.

The school year also brings another unexpected guest --- Samuel's cousin, David. Up to this point, Samuel has always idolized David despite his detrimental upbringing and general resistance to authority. But after a few initial hiccups and confrontations, Samuel isn't sure whether or not David is the father figure he needs so desperately in his life.

BOOM! More explosions force Samuel to stop and contemplate what is happening all around him. Jonathan and Jesse seem hell-bent on destroying the Mexicans, Saula Sobinski won't leave him alone, and David has a violent streak that appears unstoppable. Samuel's mother is holding on to her last bit of sanity, and his father remains absent. Samuel, just like his Bible counterpart, seems to have been sent for a higher purpose, but will he react in time to save his crumbling world?

Erik Raschke reminds us what it's like to be a kid. Even though Samuel is facing some complex life issues, Raschke doesn't leave out the joys of childhood. Some of my favorite moments are when he talks back to his mom and reports on the questionable school assemblies. Samuel also enjoys his neighborhood, and Raschke doesn't leave out any details, including the seemingly random names kids make up for hills, gulches, etc. Through it all, Samuel appears to handle everything with grace, and you never get the sense that he's a lost or desperate soul. Be on the lookout for the numerous Bible references as they effectively complement the storyline.

--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche

Samuel Gerard and his friends Jonathon and Jesse are out to get the Mexicans. According to the three friends, the Mexicans have stolen their bikes for the last time. It's time for revenge.

At least that's what used to occupy Samuel's thoughts. Now things are looking a bit different. When your father quits his teaching job and starts living in a tent in the backyard and reading nothing but the Bible, things don't look quite the way they used to. Samuel's father is having what might be termed a "mid-life crisis." He has turned to the word of God to explain and justify his every move.

Samuel tries to stay connected with his father by spending time in the tent and listening to him read from the Bible, but eventually he realizes the man has to deal with this crisis on his own. It's not long until his father packs up and takes off, leaving Samuel alone with his hard-working mother.

Samuel and his two friends are often the victims of taunting from the kids at school. They are fairly good students but not particularly athletic or popular, which makes them targets for the bullies. Samuel, in particular, with his discount store clothing and his strange vegetarian lunches, makes him an easy target for teasing. One especially scary tormentor is Saula, an odd and incredibly strong girl with an unexplained hatred for Samuel.

To make matters worse, Samuel's mother offers to have his cousin, David, come to live with them. Unfortunate family circumstances have made David a hot-tempered and volatile individual. Now Samuel has a bully to deal with right under his own roof.

THE BOOK OF SAMUEL follows a 12-year-old boy through the turmoil of family problems and the often too typical pressures of being different. There are moments of humor, moments of frustration, moments of sadness, and even moments of horror as Samuel negotiates his way through life.

The book is at times a challenging read, but readers will find meaning and satisfaction as they get to know and understand this determined young man.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Samuel Gerard is a regular twelve tear old boy doing things like his schoolmates do; for instance giving his parents a hard time, coping with his pious grandmother and equally religious father, and flirting with the girls at school. One day, with no warning, his father walks out on his family to preach the word of Jesus. Samuel's life changes for the worse as he is now responsible as the man of the family though not yet a teen.

His friends antagonize and fight with the Hispanic students and he joins them. His depressed mom needs cheering up and his energetic grandma needs to be placed in a home because the present living conditions are not working any longer. His cousin, forced to leave his hometown due to causing trouble there, moves into the Gerard household; enhancing an already tense family situation. Samuel is angry at the world and takes it out on those who care about him. When his father comes home for a short respite from his mission to save souls, Samuel does not recognize this stranger who used to be his dad. Finally his friends demand he join them as they resolve to handle the Mexican "problem".

The protagonist has to cope with a series of painful events as a modern day Job rather than Samuel, but has the tenacity and soul to handle his traumas; rejecting his father's path for redemption means abandoning your loved ones as that is an easy cop out. Erik Raschke uses real social issues like absentee fathers, immigration and aging parents to bring believability to the sudden need for a tweener to grow up rather quickly. Though some might insist Samuel adapts too easily, anyone who knows a single parent household with a latchkey child will realize he struggles with monumental personal changes from care free child to responsible young adult.

Harriet Klausner

This book journey's through the young life of Samuel Gerard. He hangs out with his friends, loves to go out and bike ride, experiences his first kiss, among many other things. This book is actually quite interesting! There were times that I laughed out loud, others where I shed tears and many where the thing he said just brought a smile to my face. I could totally relate to Samuel! His character is just so honest and you know as a kid, one battles with what's wrong or right. There was a lot of religious battles that went on in this novel, because of Samuel's father and I loved how Raschke made Samuel's world fit into mine. The one and only thing that I did not like about this novel was the abundant amount of stereotypes against Mexicans. I just completely found it very hurtful in a way, although I will say this, it was kind of necessary for the book. I just wished that there wasn't as much in it. That being said, this story will leave you completely transfixed into this teens world and will make you question everything you've ever known! Def a must read! I give this novel 4 out of 5 paws.

A surprising read with a great deal of depth.

Last weekend I went to a reading for this book. I didn't have any expectations -- it was a bit of whim that I went -- and yet I wound up leaving with two copies. I was struck by the believable voice that the book seemed to possess. And perhaps more personally the character of David reminded me of my brother, a feeling that was further confirmed though out my reading of the book.

The book is rich in specific imagery. As a child of the American 80's I couldn't help but laugh at references to wedgies and Atari and jello thrown in the school cafetaria. And while these specifics make this book enjoyable, the issues tackled in this book are universal and are what make it really worth reading.

The characters are fully developed and will remind most of us of people we know. They are far from stereotypes. Moments like when Saula says, "You can put your initials on me. I deserve it" make them very real, very human. You feel the power and powerlessness of Samuel's mother, and the guarded vulnerability of David and know these are people you could love.

***

A scene which I felt captures the voice of this book very well:

At bedtime, David and I brushed our teeth together. I was done in ten seconds flat. David was an old lumberjack with his floss, sliding it lazily back and forth along the base of each tooth.

"That was crazy tonight," I said. "At dinner. I'm glad you were there."

He held the floss with his tongue. "Good. I'm glad someone was happy."

"I didn't say I was happy. I just said, I'm glad--"

"You know, there is such a thing as double meaning," he interrupted. "A sentence, a reference. It can mean two things at the same time."

"So, what was the double meaning? There was no double meaning to what you just said."

David glanced down at me. Then he gave me the middle finger and said, "There. This has only one meaning."

I hated David. I counted one second, two seconds, three seconds...David reached way in to the left side of his mouth wrapping the floss around his molars.

"I told your grandma today that I forgave her."

"Really?"

"No. I'm lying."

"Really?"

"No. I'm lying again."

"What did she say?"

"She said, 'Fabulous.'"

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Then he turned to me and cocked his head. "Was it like this before? The fighting. With your parents?"

"Yes and no."

"I guess it's still better than living with Rhoald."

Then he reached out and twisted the alligator on my Izod shirt, pinching my nipple so hard that I yelped.

"Alligators bit," he said with a smirk. "If you want to just hang out, talk about your dad, I'll be awake for a while. No questions asked."

"Okay. Thanks."

"No problem."

Then David stepped out, switched off the bathroom light, and closed the door behind him, leaving me in the dark.