The House of the Scorpion

by Nancy Farmer

Unknown Binding

Published October 1, 2002

About the author

Nancy was born in 1941 in Phoenix and grew up in a hotel on the Arizona-Mexico border where she worked the switchboard at the age of nine. She also found time to hang out in the old state prison and the hobo jungle along the banks of the Colorado River. She attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, earning her BA in 1963. Instead of taking a regular job, she joined the Peace Corps and was sent to India (1963-1965). When she returned, she moved into a commune in Berkeley, sold newspapers on the street for a while, then got a job in the Entomology department at UC Berkeley and also took courses in Chemistry there. Restless, again, she decided to visit Africa. She and a friend tried to hitchhike by boat but the ship they'd selected turned out to be stolen and was boarded by the Coast Guard just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. Nancy eventually got to Africa on a legal ship. She spent more than a year on Lake Cabora Bassa in Mozambique, monitoring water weeds. Next she was hired to help control tsetse fly in the dense bush on the banks of the Zambezi in Zimbabwe. Part of the time she spent in the capital, Harare, and was introduced to her soon-to-be husband by his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. He proposed a week later. Harold and Nancy now live in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona on a major drug route for the Sinaloa Cartel. This is the setting for The Lord of Opium. They have a son, Daniel, who is in the U.S. navy.
Nancy's honors include the National Book Award for The House of the Scorpion and Newbery Honors for The Ear, the Eye and The Arm, A Girl Named Disaster and The House of the Scorpion. She is the author of nine novels, three picture books and a number of short stories. Her books have been translated into 26 languages.

Reviews

[T.S. Colunga · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I read from childhood. The twists, the adventures, the whole story. It’s always going to be a book I recommend.

[Jonathan Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

At one point, there was a line of text from this novel I could recall vividly and quote from memory. Farmer's juggling quite a few thematic elements at one time. Coming of age, the ethics of cloning, immigration, found family and let's just throw in toxic masculinity and transhumanism for good measure. I don't have much to say here. This is probably one of my favorite books from my preadolescence.

[Misty Renn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although labeled young adult fiction, this book dives into more complex topics such as morality, war, and ethics. Reading this as an adult allowed me to understand it far better than when I was a child and I could not recommend it enough.

[Brittany Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book 22 years ago when I was in middle school and the story always stuck with me. Upon rereading, I’m happy to report my memory was correct and this is one of my favorite sci-fi novels.

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books!

[Ainsley Curry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was kind of waiting for a more eventful plot to happen but it never did.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does a great job of both telling a tight, focused narrative while also giving us hints of the much wider world.