Wrecker
Release date: 2011 / 287 pages
Synopsis (from the jacket cover): It’s June 1965. War is raging in Vietnam, San Francisco is tripping toward flower power, and a boy named Wrecker is born. By his third birthday, his mother has landed in prison, and he’s been taken by the state. So when Wrecker arrives at a place called Bow Farm in the truck of an uncle he’s never met before, the boy is scared and angry, quick to cause chaos and quick to run before he’s blamed — quick, in other words, to live up to his name…
First Sentence: It was the middle of the afternoon, January 1969, and a half-hearted rain dampened San Francisco and cast a gloomy pall over the hallways of the Social Welfare building.
Review: There is much to love in Wrecker — starting with the title character. In short, the premise of this novel is “it takes a village,” even if that village is unconventional in nature, harboring secrets, and occasionally deeply flawed.
Although third person limited, the perspective of the narration changes seamlessly between the characters. While well-crafted, this shifting point of view was a bit unsettling at times. I think I would have gotten to know the characters even better, even more inimately, if I had been able to follow just one of them — gaining knowledge of the others through this person’s eyes. However, this would not have allowed knowledge of Wrecker’s biological mother, which may not have been a significant loss, but would have changed the nature or at least one angle of the story. I also would have liked getting to know a few of the minor characters, like Jack, or Johnny Appleseed, or even DF Al, better. Wood’s strength is firmly with the female characters — Wrecker and Len did not seem as effortless or authentic.
But these “complaints” are minor. Overall I did enjoy Wrecker and believe many other readers would as well. Many of the issues surrounding the raising of children, motherhood, communities and relationships would most likely spark discussion in a book club, too. Also, Wood’s prose has a well-crafted, distinct style that is hard to describe, so I will instead provide two passages for you to experience:
Len stood waiting for his life to change. He was a skinny man with a long face that showed its creases despite the stubble on his chin and cheeks, and he kept moving his hands from the brim of his cap to the pockets of his jeans as though he couldn’t be held responsible for what they might do if left unsupervised. Finally a door creaked open and a young woman edged into the hall.
It was a giant tree, the trunk misshapen by fire and encrusted with lichens, and it dominated the slope with its girth and the broad circle of shade cast by its canopy. It was a mammoth, a monster, a dinosaur even, a relict fir left standing when its regiment fell to loggers a hundred years before. Noises flattened beneath it… In a storm it waved its limbs and threatened to uproot and roll itself and half the hillside down to dam the creek and block the county road below.
Interested in winning a free copy? Drop me a comment below and I will choose a lucky winner by the weekend! Feel free to check out the other stops on the tour, too…
Monday, April 18th: Scraps of Life
Tuesday, April 19th: Musings of an All Purpose Monkey
Thursday, April 21st: Book Club Classics!
Friday, April 22nd: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Monday, April 25th: In the Next Room
Tuesday, April 26th: Life in Review
Wednesday, April 27th: Boarding in my Forties
Thursday, April 28th: Red Headed Book Child
Monday, May 2nd: Joyfully Retired
Thursday, May 5th: Rundpinne
Monday, May 9th: Caribousmom
Tuesday, May 10th: Amused by Books
Wednesday, May 11th: I’m Booking It
I just heard about this book from somewhere else too and am very interested in reading it!
This sounds like a book you can’t put down. I especially enjoy books during this time frame. Please enter me in the Giveaway! Thank you!
I work with foster children through the court system and I would love to read this account of a boy’s life facing these difficulties. I have been looking for books both fiction and non-fiction that help me understand what these children live through.
Hi! I just heard about this book. It sounds great, and I can’t wait to read it! I also enjoy getting your newsletter.
Poor kid. Makes you want to take him into your arms and hug him. I would really love to read this book, especiallys since it involves a very alone kid.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I would love the opportunity to read this so I could possibly make this a selection for a book club I belong to.
What kind of name is that for a child? I would love to read this. Thanks for sharing.
have seen this book everywhere!
sounds great
The sixties, Flower power, and Vietnam. What a great combination!
Wow, sounds like a great book!
Looking for the next good book to read.
“Wrecker” sounds like the biography of a little kid named Donny who grew up in my neighborhood. He was being cared for(?) by his elderly grandmother. He would be outside by 7 a.m. every morning and only went home when it got dark. Neighbors gave him a meal sometimes. Other times he fended for himself. He was small, blond and had a perpetual runny nose. I have often wondered what happened to him.
This book sounds interesting, and I’d like a chance to read it. Please enter me. Thanks!
I would love to read this on1…thanks for the chance!
I would love to read this one…thanks for the chance!
Sounds intriguing! Thanks for the giveaway.
This one sounds really good and discussion worthy! Thank you so much for being on the tour and sharing your thoughts with your readers!
Please include me.
This one has made it to my Wish List! Please count me in. Thank you!
This book sounds great!
Just the thought of a child placed scares me. I have heard of so many abused children in foster care, but there are also exceptional foster parents who put the child first and help the child build character and become model parents. I comment the exceptional foster parents. As far as the first foster parents, the court system sould stay on top of the kids so nothing happens to them. A very bad case resulting in death just happened in NC.
Thanks for me venting!
Rebecca
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I’m intrigued by this book after reading your review of it. Thanks!
Kristen, thank you for this wonderful post. I’ve really enjoyed reading the comments, too. WRECKER grew out of my experience as a foster parent, so I can really relate to your readers who bring up fostering/kids in care. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, and hope more than anything that WRECKER will cause readers to pause for a moment and realize how valuable our families are — whatever form they might take. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment, Summer! I hope my review brings much deserved attention to your novel!
Wrecker looks like a book I would love to read. I like reading books in this time period and especially focused around San Francisco.