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The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: A Novel Hardcover – April 24, 2018
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Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s coming-of-age story is, according to Booklist, “a novel that, if it doesn’t cross entirely over into John Irving territory, certainly nestles in close to the border.”
Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” or Sam “Hell” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends.
Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.
Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design―especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open―bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.
Winner of Suspense Magazine’s Crimson Scribe Award.
- Print length448 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLake Union Publishing
- Publication dateApril 24, 2018
- Dimensions5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-101503949001
- ISBN-13978-1503949003
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What's it about?
A man embarks on a journey of self-discovery, reflecting on his life and the events that shaped him, as he seeks to understand the purpose behind his unique eyes and the tragedy that altered his path.Popular highlight
We realize it is in those quiet moments that each of us has the ability to make our lives extraordinary.4,794 Kindle readers highlighted thisPopular highlight
There comes a day in every man’s life when he stops looking forward and starts looking back.3,618 Kindle readers highlighted thisPopular highlight
“Time is wicked. It comes and goes like a thief in the night, stealing our youth, our beauty, and our bodies.”2,094 Kindle readers highlighted this
Editorial Reviews
Review
A Suspense Magazine Crimson Scribe Award Winner
A Goodreads Choice Award Semifinalist, Historical Fiction
An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Literature & Fiction Category
“This is the bestselling Dugoni’s masterpiece, the book by which his work, and that of others, will be measured for years to come.” —Providence Journal
“Dugoni has produced a novel that, if it doesn’t cross entirely over into John Irving territory, certainly nestles in close to the border…Told in two separate time lines (Sam as a boy, and Sam as a man) that eventually come together, and written in a gentle, introspective yet dramatic style that is very different from that of Dugoni’s crime fiction, this is an inspirational story of a man who spends a lifetime getting to know himself.” —Booklist
“Sam Hell is inspiring and aglow with the promise of redemption.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Robert Dugoni has a rare and brilliant talent for infusing his characters with complex emotions. It is very hard not to ache for young Sam…Frankly, this might be the best book of the year.” —Bookreporter
“Distinctly different in style from Dugoni’s typical fare, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, is a captivating and poignant journey of strength and the power of finding your true self. Without a doubt, this is Dugoni’s best yet.” —Suspense Magazine
“Dugoni’s writing is compellingly quick, simple, and evocative; readers will immediately empathize with young Sam and will race to discover how his story ends. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is a heartwarming novel that celebrates overcoming the unfairnesses of life.” —Seattle Book Review
Past Praise for Robert Dugoni:
“Dugoni is a superb storyteller…” —Boston Globe
“Dugoni has a gift for creating compelling characters and mysteries that seem straightforward, but his stories, like an onion, have many hidden layers.” —Associated Press
About the Author
Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series, including My Sister’s Grave, Her Final Breath, In the Clearing, The Trapped Girl, and Close to Home. The Crosswhite Series has sold more than 2,500,000 books worldwide, and My Sister’s Grave has been optioned for television series development. Dugoni is also the author of the bestselling David Sloane series, which includes The Jury Master, Wrongful Death, Bodily Harm, Murder One, and The Conviction; the stand-alone novels The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, The 7th Canon, and Damage Control; and the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year; as well as several short stories. He is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel in the Pacific Northwest. He is a two-time finalist for both the International Thriller Award and the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and has been nominated for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award. His books are sold worldwide in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages, including French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on Twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni.
Product details
- Publisher : Lake Union Publishing (April 24, 2018)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1503949001
- ISBN-13 : 978-1503949003
- Item Weight : 1.3 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #27,152 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #714 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- #948 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
- #2,677 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - Suspense Magazine’s Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award and the critically acclaimed, The World Played Chess; historical novels based on true events: A Killing on the Hill about Seattle during the great depression and Hold Strong, a WWII novel; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Several of his novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and multiple awards for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.
Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.
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Beautifully written, and has a moving ending. I loved it!
The novel focuses (of course) on the life of Samuel Hill, known as "Sam Hell", a nickname bestowed upon him due to a rare genetic condition called ocular albinism that causes his eyes to be red. Sam is born in 1957 in northern California to a German father and an Irish mother, the latter a devout Catholic and Sam's biggest supporter, determined not to let his disarming eyes hold him back. She works to get him enrolled in the Catholic grade school, where he faces the predictable teasing and bullying you might expect for one with such a condition. But Sam slowly finds his way, befriending the one Black boy in the school (Ernie Cantwell) and gradually gaining acceptance through his prowess in the classroom and hustle on the basketball court. It's also where his lifelong feud with school bully David Bateman begins.
The story extends into adulthood, and chronicles Sam's relationships with his parents, his romantic dalliances, his ongoing friendship with Ernie and their addition of a third musketeer in Michaela "Mickie" Kennedy, his professional career (hint: it's the most unsurprising career choice in the history of literature), and the inevitable ups and downs that life brings. Here's the thing: I don't know that I would call Sam Hell's life "extraordinary." He has an extraordinary condition -- the ocular albinism -- but aside from that the majority of his life is pretty mundane and in some cases (like his career choice) pretty predictable. I was expecting something akin to Forrest Gump -- that was an extraordinary, unbelievable life -- but while Sam has to deal with a series of trials and tribulations, the vast majority of it is "just life". While this is fictionalized, most autobiographies or memoirs of public figures would present a much more extraordinary life story.
That's not to say the stories and the characters aren't compelling. It was an enjoyable read, and the relationships that Dugoni develops between Sam and his friends and parents are heartwarming and memorable. There were lots of relatable moments, from his Catholic education to some of his experiences as a student. Between the bullying and the basketball, it was reminiscent of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, but a book that was better written with more fully-developed characters. It was a borderline 5-star book for me -- I read it quickly, and certainly liked it -- but I think inflated expectations and the whole "not that extraordinary" component bumped it down a slight notch for me.