Author: Tobias Wolff
Sub-Genre: Narrative - Journey, coming of age
How many Pages: 288
What does it say about itself: "This unforgettable memoir of boyhood in the 1950's, a true modern classic, introduces us to the young Toby Wolff, by turns tough and vulnerable, crafty and bumbling. Separated by divorce from his father and brother, Toby and his mother are constantly on the move. As he fights for identity and self-respect against the unrelenting hostility of a new stepfather, his experiences are at once poignant and comical, and Wolff masterfully re-creates the frustrations, cruelties, and joys of adolescence. His various schemes - running away to Alaska, forging checks, and stealing cars - lead eventually to an act of outrageous self-invention that releases him into a new world of possibility"
My thoughts: This one is older than most memoirs I read. I was actually assigned this book in a class on memoirs (I know, I'm a huge dweeb), but this is a very interesting piece of literature. Based mostly in a small town in Washington state (just east of where I live currently) the book looks at the struggles of a mixed family through the eyes of one of the children. There is a common theme in many memoirs, that of abuse or neglect early in the life of the author, which makes sense as a form of sensationalism to sell books. The examples in this particular piece are not sensationalized in the way you expect. All in all this has an interesting life encapsulated onto the page.
Grades: (all scores out of 5)
Quality of Writing: 5
Entertainment Value: 3
Compelling: 3
Total: 11/15 - 73% - C
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