The Island of Worthy Boys
A Novel
by Connie Hertzberg Mayo
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Pub Date Oct 13 2015 | Archive Date Jan 13 2016
Description
Winner of the 2016 Gold Medal for Best Regional Fiction, Independent Publisher Book Awards
In 1889, the Boston Farm School didn’t accept boys with any sort of criminal record. Which made it the perfect hiding place for two boys who accidentally killed someone.
Charles has been living alone on the streets of Boston for the last two of his twelve years. Aidan’s mom can’t stay sober enough to keep her job. When the boys team up, Charles teaches Aidan the art of rolling drunks in the saloon and brothel district, and life starts to look up—until a robbery goes horribly wrong one night and they need to leave the city or risk arrest. When the boys con their way into The Boston Farm School—located on an island one mile out in Boston Harbor—they think they’ve cheated fate. But the Superintendent is obsessed with keeping the bad element out of his school, and as both their story and their friendship start to splinter, Charles and Aidan discover they are not as far from the law as they had hoped.
In 1889, the Boston Farm School didn’t accept boys with any sort of criminal record. Which made it the perfect hiding place for two boys who accidentally killed someone.
Charles has been living alone on the streets of Boston for the last two of his twelve years. Aidan’s mom can’t stay sober enough to keep her job. When the boys team up, Charles teaches Aidan the art of rolling drunks in the saloon and brothel district, and life starts to look up—until a robbery goes horribly wrong one night and they need to leave the city or risk arrest. When the boys con their way into The Boston Farm School—located on an island one mile out in Boston Harbor—they think they’ve cheated fate. But the Superintendent is obsessed with keeping the bad element out of his school, and as both their story and their friendship start to splinter, Charles and Aidan discover they are not as far from the law as they had hoped.
Advance Praise
“Connie Mayo’s fast-paced novel, The Island of Worthy Boys, transports you to the pungent gritty streets of nineteenth-century Boston where two unlikely delinquent heroes lurk. Fair warning: they will steal your heart. Mayo’s dramatic flair, psychological insight, and mastery of nineteenth-century Boston make for a remarkable debut novel that reads like the work of a seasoned pro. Unforgettable.”
—Katherine Keenum, author of Where the Light Falls
“An accomplished debut novel with intriguing characters and vibrant dialogue, The Island of Worthy Boys takes readers on a fascinating journey through the streets of late-nineteenth-century Boston and into the little-known world of Thompson Island’s Farm School for Indigent Boys. With sparkling descriptions and a well-paced plot, Mayo tells the tale of Charles Wheeler and Aidan Sullivan―two boys on the run―and their escape to the farm school, where secrets abound and the boys’ friendship endures the ultimate test. The Island of Worthy Boys will captivate both fans of Boston history and lovers of historical fiction.”
—Kristen Harnisch, author of The Vintner's Daughter
“A poignant and moving tale of two boys who fall on hard times in nineteenth-century Boston. Hunger and desperation help to forge a bond between the two that is nearly indestructible. When the unthinkable happens, they go into hiding, living in constant fear that the ghosts of their past will return to exact revenge and seek justice. A thoughtful and enlightening story filled with historical appeal and an ending that is both unexpected and satisfying.”
—Tamar Ossowski, author Left
—Katherine Keenum, author of Where the Light Falls
“An accomplished debut novel with intriguing characters and vibrant dialogue, The Island of Worthy Boys takes readers on a fascinating journey through the streets of late-nineteenth-century Boston and into the little-known world of Thompson Island’s Farm School for Indigent Boys. With sparkling descriptions and a well-paced plot, Mayo tells the tale of Charles Wheeler and Aidan Sullivan―two boys on the run―and their escape to the farm school, where secrets abound and the boys’ friendship endures the ultimate test. The Island of Worthy Boys will captivate both fans of Boston history and lovers of historical fiction.”
—Kristen Harnisch, author of The Vintner's Daughter
“A poignant and moving tale of two boys who fall on hard times in nineteenth-century Boston. Hunger and desperation help to forge a bond between the two that is nearly indestructible. When the unthinkable happens, they go into hiding, living in constant fear that the ghosts of their past will return to exact revenge and seek justice. A thoughtful and enlightening story filled with historical appeal and an ending that is both unexpected and satisfying.”
—Tamar Ossowski, author Left
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781631520013 |
| PRICE | $17.95 (USD) |
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