The Book of Boy

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The Book of Boy
ISBN
978-0-06-268620-6
Websitewww.catherinemurdock.com/book-of-boy.html

The Book of Boy is a

young adult historical fiction novel written by Catherine Gilbert Murdock and published in February 2018. It recounts the journey of the eponymous Boy, who accompanies the pilgrim Secundus as they gather relics associated with Saint Peter. It was named a Newbery Honor
book in January 2019.

Plot summary

Boy is an orphan who works as a goatherd on the estate of Sir Jacques. He encounters the pilgrim Secundus in the fields and guides him to the manor, where Secundus convinces the Cook to lend him Boy as his servant on his pilgrimage to the nearest large town, Saint-Peter's-Step. As they leave for their journey, Secundus ties a mysterious bundle to Boy's

Mother of All the Churches
.

The story is set in the

holy year of 1350, while the Black Death
was sweeping through Europe; before the novel begins, the wife and three children of Sir Jacques have succumbed to the plague. As an orphan and deformed with a hunchback, Boy has been bullied all his life and has a deep sense of shame over his otherness, although he is able to take comfort in his strange rapport with animals.

Development

Murdock noted she was influenced by Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, developing the dialogue to balance accuracy in historical vocabulary with readability for modern audiences.[1]

Publishing history

Reception

In a starred review,

The Horn Book gave the novel a star and in her review, Sarah Ellis wrote that Boy is "a complex and compelling being whose defining quality is goodness."[4] In her review for School Library Journal, Elizabeth Bird also called Boy "the living embodiment of kindness and joy" and drew a contrast to the current state of children's literature: "We have a lot of dark, depressing, necessary books out there. Once, just once, let’s enjoy the one unafraid to let a little light and laughter in."[5]

The American Library Association named The Book of Boy a Newbery Honor Book at its annual conference in January 2019.[6]

References

  1. ^ Catherine Gilbert Murdock (July 11, 2018). "Five Questions for Catherine Gilbert Murdock". The Horn Book (Interview). Interviewed by Sarah Ellis and Shoshana Flax. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  2. ^ "The Book of Boy (starred)". Kirkus Reviews. October 30, 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  3. ^ Healy, Christopher (January 26, 2018). "Fantasies for Young Readers, With an Eye on Today's Fears and Divisions". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  4. ^ Ellis, Sarah (July 11, 2018). "Review of The Book of Boy". The Horn Book. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  5. ^ Bird, Elizabeth Bird (March 29, 2018). "Review of the Day: The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock". School Library Journal. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  6. ^ Russo, Maria (January 28, 2019). "Meg Medina Wins Newbery Medal and Sophie Blackall Is Awarded Her Second Caldecott". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2019.

External links

"Blog tour" with content from the author describing research and development of the novel:

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