Jeanine Cummins has written a beautiful coming of age story about a motherless gypsy boy, who struggles to discover who he is in a rapidly changing world--1950's Ireland.
This story is told in the unique and intuitive voice of a 12-year old Irish Pavee boy, "Christy"--short for Christopher. They call themselves "Travellers." Unkind town folks, or "Buffers" call them "Tinkers"--you would know them as "Gypsies." At this point you're probably starting to hum as Cher's rendition of Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves begins to swell in the background... However, Cummins' s sympathetic treatment of these members of society's fringe, may cause you to want to join their merry band--painted wagons, campfire songs, and all... Christy provides an excellent point of view for us to learn about his Pavee culture, and the react these outsiders get from the townspeople--both the inclusive and the cruel.
Although Christy is the primary character, we come to care about many of the other supporting cast-members that make his world go round. In fact, two family members that take up a lot of energy in his mind and space in his heart, are deceased--a term our young narrator notes is "a nicer word than dead'." His "Mam", who died during childbirth, and thus causes him to carry around huge tinker-buckets full of guilt, and his "Grandda" whose passing provides the drama for the prologue, setting the stage for how Christy's life will drastically change. Christy's Dad, Christopher, his cousin, Martin, his Aunt and Uncle, their other children and "Granny" make up the small family of Travellers that take us on Christy's journey of self-identity.
Although The Outside Boy is a character-driven book, their development is strong enough to move the plot forward in a well-paced story. And while the paperback hefts at over 350 pages, you'll turn them quickly--so don't worry about that. The ending promises some surprises and difficult choices for Christy, but still manages to satisfactorily tie up most loose ends.
Cummins's novel addresses universal themes such as Freedom and Belonging, Pride and Prejudice, Books and Education, Identity, Family and the Concept of Home--all in a way that makes us, the reader, reflect on our own family values. You'll have tons of topics for your book club to discuss! And yes, there's a Readers Guide in the back.
Christy's distinctive voice is innocent, insightful, and honest--and he makes us not just see, but feel what he is experiencing as the plot unfolds. He describes his Granny's anguish at the death of her life partner in this way:
"The keen she let up was so thick and tender I could nearly see it coming out of her, her breath spiraling out violently in torrid colors, defeating the darkness and drenching the camp with grief."
And he tells us about his brotherly relationship with his cousin, Martin, with this description of the two of them as they huddle together in a blanket watching their Granny:
"Martin squirmed in even closer beside me, and I could feel his elbow stuck between two of my shivering ribs, like we was twins for minute, instead of cousins, We was joined at the eyes and ears, joined at the dread. Everything was silent and stretched--only the tidal rhythm of our shared breath pushed the seconds forward...."
It's a voice which also reflects his life's paradoxes: his love for books and reading combined with his spotty formal education; his common sense approach to life--with just a touch of the dreamer.
Yes, I wanted to adopt Christy from the beginning to the end. I mean, who can resist an Outside Boy looking for his home. And--trust me--he'll be at home in your book club. Read it!
Cheers!
The Book Club Cheerleader
