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The Outside Boy

By Jeanine Cummins
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Check link for latest rating. ( 11,384 ratings, 1,078 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Outside Boy by Jeanine Cummins is a coming-of-age story set in 1950s Ireland, focusing on a young boy named Christy who travels with his family of itinerant Tinkers. While navigating the complexities of identity and belonging, Christy uncovers family secrets through an intriguing old journal. The book beautifully explores themes of heritage, identity, and the journey to self-understanding amidst the backdrop of post-war Ireland.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by vibrant tales set in the lush backdrop of 1950s Ireland. It invites readers to follow a young boy's journey of self-discovery and belonging, with evocative storytelling and richly drawn characters that bring this poignant narrative to life.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A poignant, coming of age novel about an Irish gypsy boy's childhood in the 1950's from the author of AMERICAN DIRT.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
'A full-throated song of praise. I loved it' Sherman Alexie

The Outside Boy is set in Ireland, 1959. Young Christopher Hurley is a tinker, a Pavee gypsy, who roams with his father and extended family from town to town, carrying all their worldly possessions in their wagons. Christy carries with him a burden of guilt as well: his mother's death in childbirth.

The wandering life is the only one Christy has ever known, but when his grandfather dies, everything changes. His father decides to settle briefly in a town, where Christy and his cousin can receive proper schooling. But still, always, they are treated as outsiders.

As Christy struggles with his new classmates, he starts to question who he is and where he belongs. But then the discovery of an old newspaper photograph, and a long-buried secret, changes his life forever.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The reviews highlight The Outside Boy as a deeply moving and beautifully written novel, capturing a vanishing culture with elegance. While it draws comparisons to Angela's Ashes, the book maintains its own fictional uniqueness with well-crafted scenes and characters, offering readers a poignant and enchanting experience.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472272836

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 June 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Tinder Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 194.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 384

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Jeanine Cummins Literary Fiction

About the Author

Jeanine Cummins is the author of the novels AMERICAN DIRT, THE OUTSIDE BOY and THE CROOKED BRANCH, and a true crime work, A RIP IN HEAVEN. She lives in New York with her husband and two children.

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