Customer Reviews

The Silent Boy

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fictional memoir of an elderly woman who tells the story of her Pre World War I childhood and in particular her relationship with a boy who was "touched". We are never told what was wrong with the boy (I think in a effort to not apply modern day labels) but from the symptoms I came to believe he was autistic. This is a deceptively simple story. It is a sweet, quaint, nostalgic look at a time when telephones and cars were very new. Every chapter is illustrated with a photograph of the period which adds to the nostalgia. Slowly, as events unfold we become aware that something is not right and the ending is terribly tragic. In fact, we are warned on the opening page that this is a sad story, yet that warning slipped away from me as I was immersed in the simple lives of the characters. This is a book that you stagger away from and makes you think how something so awfully sad and tragic could happen.

This book was filed in the children's section of my library, and it is a short, easy read but I think the full force of the story would be much more appreciated by a YA.

This story opens in June of 1987 with the then 85-year-old Katy relating her girlhood at the turn of the 20th century.

The flashbacks start in 1908 with the then-nearly 6-year-old Katy, her friend Jessie and Kate's future fiance, Austin. The trio remain lifetime friends.

The bulk of the story takes place in 1911. Katy, then nearly 9 learned what the word "maternity" means when she reads it in a dress catalog; her sister Mary is born that year and Nell, a farm girl comes to stay with Katy's family as a helper. Nell comes from a large family and her brother Jacob, 14 has been called "touched" as in "touched in the head." In today's world, Jacob would most likely be considered to have a form of autism.

Largely nonverbal, Jacob wears the same hat; enjoys the company of animals and retreats from people and noises. At best, he stands quietly when Katy shares the news of her day with him.

Katy's father is a delightful character. A country doctor, he often takes his daughter on his rounds. A feel and flavor of small town America is beautifully portayed in their horse-and-buggy trips. Jessie's family is proud to be the first on their street to own a $900 Ford, then a rarity.

Katy's father lets her come with him to the Asylum, a gray stone monstrosity on the edge of town. I like the intelligent discussions and honest answers he gives her; he tells her where babies really come from; I like the compassion he displays towards people in the Asylum. He is a remarkably astute man who understands Jacob's behavior such as the boy's rigid adherence to routine and how that, and his ubiquitous hat make him feel safe.

The story of Jacob closes on a sad note. He gives Katy a kitten and applies this act to an unrelated situation. Sadly, Jacob fades out of the town and, at the story's close nobody knew of his fate.

Katy takes readers on a history tour; she marries Austin in 1928; Jessie's brother Paul is killed in WWI on June 5, 1918 after dropping out of law school. The Asylum is closed by 1960 and Katy, mulling over her life, decides never to share the story of Jacob with her children and grandchildren.

While more progressive minds have prevailed in recent times in re autism, sadly these myths and misperceptions crop up from time to time. The 1988 movie "Rain Man," which I have come to hate is about an autistic savant who was institutionalized because of an unfounded fear he would injure his infant brother. The term "Rain Man" is considered offensive in most autism circles. In 1911, the word autism had yet to be coined and sadly, tolerance was a rarity. Katy's father was ahead of his time.

I liked the use of historical photographs and the author interview which was included in this book. That made a good thing even better and the photographs brought the times covered to light.

This story truly touched me as did The Giver, and Gathering Blue. Again this book focused on a boy who was different, and how he was shunned for it. Lowry specializes in taking a perfectly normal person and placing them in a society that totaly differs from our own. It teaches us that jsut because someone is different physically, it doesn't mean that they are different mentaly and/or spiritualy. It teaches us of different values, and is definately a great read for children, and teens. This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you read it. I read this book when I was about 10. I am now 14, and this books' message seizes to touch my heart. Great read. I would definately recommend it for your book collection.

This is the fourth book I've read by this author, and I've enjoyed all but Messenger. (That seems like a weak retry to tell a similar story to the wonderful Giver.)

I'd say this about all her books, but most especially this one: This tale is NOT for children. I know that a lot of today's children know most "adult secrets" by the age of six or seven, but nevertheless this book is just too strong. A child who can "handle" its story line will probably be too jaded to be moved sufficiently by it, and an innocent child shouldn't be allowed to read such a haunting, innocence-destroying book. This is really an "adult" book about child characters, and at that it excels.

i absolutely loved this book! my 6th grade teacher handed it to me last year and i loved it so much! i read the ending over and over to myself because it was just so lovely and simple! amazing, a great read!

The author is known for her sudden and unconventional endings. The best of these being The Giver. The Silent Boy is the author's most recent work. It too provides a conclusion that defies the usual "feel good" story endings of most children and adult novels. To some this may be disconcerting, but I commend the writer for respecting her audience enough to challenge their imagination and intellect. That said, I found this story to be less engaging than some of her other works. I would have preferred the story to say more about the boy of the book's title. Overall, I believe that this book is very appropriate for youths fourth grade and older.

In The Silent Boy , Lois Lowry uses old photographs as well as the written word to provide an excellent setting of life in the early 20th century. Discover what growing up during this time frame might be like through the eyes and thoughts of young Katy Thatcher. Katy is an observant, young girl who knows at an early age that she wants to become a doctor like her father. She describes events that lead up to the time she meets Jacob Stoltz who is "touched" and of how she develops a friendship with this silent boy. Because of their friendship and her observant ways, she knows the cause of a tragic event that occurs and why it happens.

This book is enjoyable to read and shows how hasty judgments about a boy many have labeled "imbecile" can lead to incorrect conclusions.

An old woman is telling a story; the way your grandmother would. Leafing through the family album, she pulls out a picture and tells a bit about the people, the buildings, when the picture was taken. But its not a random; there is a bigger story here. A story of childhood long ago, of becoming a "grown up", of the hard decisions and facts that make up a life. The use of photos and words is flawless; its a surprise to learn in the author's notes that the photos are old, not recent creations for the story. Beautiful, haunting, lyrical.

In the quiet neighborhoods of this pre WWI town, all is peaceful and "normal"-neighbors are as close as family, the children all play together, and the local doctor makes house calls. In the Thatcher home, there is the expectation of a new baby, so Dr. Thatcher and his wife have hired a young lady, Peggy, to come work in the home.

The Thatcher's daughter, kind-hearted and intelligent Katy, takes an instant liking to the new girl and her "touched" brother Jacob. Even though Jacob is mute and obviously very different from the other children in town, Katy Thatcher considers him a friend, and she has come to appreciate his gentle, loving nature towards animals, especially her family's horses and the lambs on his own family's property.

Their world, however, is disrupted by a series of shameful and upsetting choices, and the dark secrets of some of the characters are slowly revealed. It is through Katy's eyes that the reader sees how the mistakes of others have a life-altering affect on so many.

There is no doubt in the minds of readers that when finished with this novel, they know young Katy Thatcher completely. Her desire to become a doctor and follow in the footsteps of her father goes beyond admirable; it seems unqualifiedly natural and right, and her friendships with both Peggy and Jacob make her as respectable as so many other Lois Lowry protagonists.

It's amazing how Lowry is able to juxtapose so much good and evil and still leave us with a complete sense of hope at the end of the story.

I loved this book. Like Katy, I am also a doctors daughter and that is why I first read it. But when I finished it, it had me pondering over the powerful message and the beautifully crafted relashionship between Jacob and Katy. All the charachters have a sense of reality and deepness and this book had just the right amounts of innocence,realiy, and hope, just like The Giver and Gathering Blue.