This book reads like a memoir, told from the POV of Sam Hell, a bullied, misunderstood misfit whose mother believes he is designed for greatness. It's an exploration of faith and human kindness (and inhumanity) and follows Sam from the age of five to some time in his forties. Not surprisingly, Sam spends most of that time trying to figure out who he is, what his purpose is, why God made him the way he is, what he wants and realizing he deserves it. It's extremely well written, jumping back and forth in time clearly and effortlessly. The threads are easy to follow. I found it easy to relate to Sam, who could have been an older brother to me and experienced many of the same cultural touchstones as I. The late 60s - early 70s are unmistakable, and even though I grew up on the opposite coast, there were many similarities. His stories about attending Catholic school were similar to the stories told by my parents (although the bullying seemed a bit extreme). Sam had a droll sense of humor. I laughed aloud when he described his appearance after a particularly brutal confrontation with his nemesis David Bateman. The fight was horrible, but the comic relief was amusing: “I looked like that guy from the American Revolution carrying the flag and limping along with a bandage on my head.” Another time, when Sam had too much to drink as a teenager, he lost his balance and stated, ”Luckily, I used my face to break my fall.” As a writer turned ophthalmologist, his metaphors were, not surprisingly, quite clever. For example, "... stone buildings pressed side by side as tightly add impacted teeth." Overall, I would have to say that, despite it continuing until Sam is in his forties, this is a great coming-of-age, grappling-with-faith story and I highly recommend it. May 10, 2020
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September 2022
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