Description

This memorable memoir, by among our most talented authors, introduces us to the young Toby Wolff, by turns tough and weak, bumbling and handy, and eventually successful. Divided by divorce from his dad and brother, Toby and his mother are continually on the go, however they create an extremely close, almost telepathic connection. His activities are in once humorous and poignant, as Toby fights for individuality and self-esteem from the relentless violence of the new stepfather, and Wolff does a wonderful job of re-creating the cruelties and worries of adolescence. His numerous strategies - taking vehicles, forging checks, and running out to Alaska - lead ultimately to an act of excessive self-creation that produces him right into a " new world " of risk.