The Book of Boy

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.

The Book of Boy
dustjacket of the 1st (hardcover) edition, illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
AuthorCatherine Gilbert Murdock
IllustratorIan Schoenherr
Set inFrance and Italy, c.1350
PublisherGreenwillow Books (imprint of HarperCollins)
Publication date
February 6, 2018
Media typehc, eBook
Pages288
AwardsNewbery Honor, 2018
ISBN978-0-06-268620-6
Websitewww.catherinemurdock.com/book-of-boy.html

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 hunchback and threatens him with death if he should peek inside or run away with it. During their first night together, Secundus reveals his quest to Boy; he is seeking seven relics from the body of Saint Peter: "Rib tooth thumb shin dust skull tomb". Based on that list, their journey will end in Rome, at the 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, Kirkus Reviews called it "a wickedly fun-filled quest that twists and turns with lyrical fire."[2] Christopher Healy, reviewing for The New York Times, had mixed feelings about "the artistically ambiguous ending" which "gives no explicit answer to the question [of whether Boy should hide his true self]".[3] 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.

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

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