A lot can happen in a year. This is a magical book. It says so right at the beginning, where the now-adult author and narrator of the book talks about the magic of childhood, and how important it is to hang on to that magic–not to let it go.
The book chronicles a year in the life of Corey, a 12-year-old boy growing up in a small town in rural Alabama in 1964. The first chapter sets the stage, as he, while helping his father on his daily milk run, sees a car run off the road in into the deep lake near their town. His dad dives in to save the driver… who has been beaten to death and handcuffed to the steering wheel.
The book shows the magical innocence of youth, before it gets ruined by growing up. Even though the actual plot of the book examines deep subjects like racism, the KKK, and bullies (both kid and adult), it is seen through the lens of wonder and magical realism. One scene sticks out in particular. The last day of school, Corey and his three best friends head off to the park and then run around in circles. Their wings, present for only one day a year, sprout from their backs, and they loop and fly over their small town for an hour or so before returning to earth, and the long hot summer. Told from the child’s perspective, it is clear that this event didn’t actually happen, but is the magical memory of that first day of summer, so present and important for a 12 year old.
The book is told in four sections, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, each with about 5-7 chapters. At first, the chapters seem disjointed and disconnected. The Lady, a practitioner of voo-doo and other dark arts, makes an appearance, along with the residents of the black part of town. They perform their spring rites and disappear back home. The schoolyard bullies harass Corey and his friends. The murder investigation starts and fizzles out. But as the book progresses, these seemingly disparate stories begin to grow together, and in the climactic set of scenes, many of the old stories reignite and return to center stage.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is far afield from my normal fare. It won the World Fantasy Award in 1992, though I am not sure it fits my definition of fantasy. Magical realism maybe? But his prose is fantastic. Watching the fix-it man climb down the ladder was the same as watching a snail cross a football field. These strong and funny metaphors are sprinkled liberally through the book, and most of the writing is, simply beautiful.
The story has funny parts, where I laughed out loud, sad parts, where I cried so much I couldn’t keep reading, and tense parts, where you knew something bad was about to happen but you weren’t sure what. The cast of characters is diverse, from the eccentric and naked son of the local millionaire, Vernon, to one of Corey’s best friends Johnny Wilson, half Native American, to the Lady, already mentioned. And they all have their roles to play.
My wife assures me that McCammon’s other books are horror and I am not interested in reading that genre. But this one was a keeper and I am glad I spent the time to read it.