Duffy's Rocks

by Edward Fenton, Margaret Mary Kimmel

Duffy's Rocksis set in the Depression years in Pittsburgh, and follows young Timothy Brennan as he seeks to find his father who has long since disappeared. Timothy and his cousin explore the city of Pittsburgh--a delightful tour that will certainly urge older readers to recall their own childhood. Through his search for his father, both the reader and Timothy encounter and explore the universal issues of family, self-discovery, and independence. Duffy Rocks provides an abundance of particulars about how children were affected during the dust bowl years, and is an opportunity for younger readers to gain a greater understanding of their own grandparents, perhaps even prompting them to record the oral histories in their own families. It is also a chance to get a sense of how the various events and situations of the past were woven together. Readers can relive the trials of the economic and social difficulties of the Great Depression and the predominance of the various immigrant groups whose influence and presence were so strong in the early part of the century in America's urban centers, from the perspective of someone their own age.

Genres: Historical Fiction

Paperback

First published April 1, 1974

About the author

Edward Fenton is the author of many books for young readers, including The Phantom of Walkway Hill, which won the Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery of its year. His three translations of the Greek write Alki Zei have all received the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for outstanding books translated from a foreign language. In addition, his poems and stories have appeared in several magazines, among them The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Cricket, and The Horn Book.

Mr. Fenton was born in New York City, but is "Greek by adoption." he and his wife, Sophia Havarti, a well-known educator and child psychologist, live in Athens and in Galixidi, an old sea captain's village on the coast near Delphi.

Reviews

[Martin Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read. Interesting tale.