Helpful Score: 3
Sam Hill was born with red pupils, a condition know as ocular albinism. Because of this, he was bullied and known to his schoolmates as "Devil Boy" or "Sam Hell." His mother always told him that it was God's will but this really didn't comfort Sam as he tries to make it through life. He does find two friends who are also misfits: Ernie Cantwell, the only black kid in his class, and Mickie Kennedy, an unconventional young woman who goes against all the rules in the strict Catholic School attended by Sam. The school is run by a harsh nun, Sister Beatrice, who tried to block Sam's entry into the school solely because of his unusual eyes and who reminds Sam of the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz. And then there are the bullies who constantly harass Sam, especially the psychopathic David Bateman, who gives Sam a severe beating and who remains his nemesis into adulthood.
The book takes Sam through his birth in 1957 on into adulthood in 1999. It takes place mostly in Burlingame, California, which is just south of San Francisco. Part of the backdrop of the story occurs in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake while Sam and Ernie are attending the World Series between the Giants and the A's. I was living in the Bay Area at that time and remember I was just on my way out of the office in downtown San Francisco when the earthquake hit shortly after 5 PM. The building jolted and I thought for sure the floor was going to collapse beneath me. I came close to being stuck in the elevator which I was on my way to but luckily didn't make it that far. Some of my coworkers were stuck in it for several hours when the power went out. And then, there was no way to get home. The Bay Bridge had partially collapsed and the BART wasn't running. Eventually, I was able to get home on a ferry that was taking people to Oakland.
Sam Hell was a wonderful and poignant story that left me thinking about life and how events and people shape your being. At the end, it leaves you with a tear in your eye and a very enjoyable reading experience.
The book takes Sam through his birth in 1957 on into adulthood in 1999. It takes place mostly in Burlingame, California, which is just south of San Francisco. Part of the backdrop of the story occurs in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake while Sam and Ernie are attending the World Series between the Giants and the A's. I was living in the Bay Area at that time and remember I was just on my way out of the office in downtown San Francisco when the earthquake hit shortly after 5 PM. The building jolted and I thought for sure the floor was going to collapse beneath me. I came close to being stuck in the elevator which I was on my way to but luckily didn't make it that far. Some of my coworkers were stuck in it for several hours when the power went out. And then, there was no way to get home. The Bay Bridge had partially collapsed and the BART wasn't running. Eventually, I was able to get home on a ferry that was taking people to Oakland.
Sam Hell was a wonderful and poignant story that left me thinking about life and how events and people shape your being. At the end, it leaves you with a tear in your eye and a very enjoyable reading experience.
