From Publishers Weekly
Billed as "a parable in one sitting," Paulsen's newest is not so much a full-fledged novel or novella as a story dominated by a single theme. Although the title may lead the Newbery Honor author's many admirers to expect an adventure like Hatchet, the wilderness his characters contend with here is spiritual, not geographic. Fourteen-year-old Steven doesn't know what to think when his down-and-out dad, Corey, cynically proposes that they try their fortune as preachers. Swiping a Bible from a motel and equipping themselves with a huge old army tent, Corey and Steven set out for the road. Corey quickly discovers a knack for raising big collections from small-town believers, and the riches multiply when a couple of hustlers help them add faith-healing to the act. But when father and son finally pay attention to the Word they ostensibly spread, they are overtaken by a sudden surge of faith. The pacing is expert and the settings dense, but the symbolism and message are trumpeted too loudly, drowning out attempts to create lifelike complexity in either the characters or their situation. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10?"Thirty-four years old and we don't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of to call our own," is how 14-year-old Steven's dad Corey describes their existence. The boy's mother has taken off, and he and his father live in an old rented trailer and drive a broken-down truck. All of this changes in a hurry when Corey commandeers a tent, steals a Gideon Bible from a hotel room, and hits the back roads of Texas in his new occupation as a preacher. Learning the tricks of the trade as they go, Steven and Corey are soon joined by two drifters whose act of being miraculously healed by Corey helps to draw larger crowds and bigger offerings. Soon their new enterprise is earning hundreds of dollars a night and both father and son have all the riches they could ever imagine. At the height of their success, both Corey, who actually has begun to read the Bible for the first time, and Steven are consumed by guilt and they set off in an effort to right their wrongdoings. While the setting and subject matter are atypical of Paulsen, the author's unique ability to pen a story is again demonstrated. While the decision to abandon the lucrative endeavor may seem somewhat abrupt, readers will feel the main characters' dilemma in having to choose between material wealth and doing the right thing. The Tent may surprise Paulsen's many fans, but it will not disappoint them.?Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
