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Will Henry
A farm boy must work as a railroad man to save his family in depression era Tennessee, even if it means giving up his own dreams. Will Henry, is the coming of age story of a thirteen year old boy. When his father abandons his pregnant mother and four children to find work up north, Will has to leave school and his boyhood dreams behind. When mistaken for a man, the boy finds himself working on a train shoveling coal and earning a steady check. Will struggles to keep his faith and work hard to be the man of the house like he promised his father. Each day he faces the fear that the truth will be discovered as he meets new obstacles to overcome. When his mother is hospitalized it means their farm is suddenly at stake. Through it all, he still dreams of being more, of returning to school and someday being a real monopoly king.
214 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 12, 2016
A GREAT LEARNING TOOL OR REMINISCENCE BOOK
The story is set during the Great Depression in Tenesee. Will's mother, Lavinia is pregnant and due to complications, she will have to be taken to the local hospital when it is time for her to give birth, otherwise she and/or the baby may die. Although, Will's father wants his wife to have the best possible care, he is concerned that he will be unable to fund his wife's hospital fees as they are already struggling to 'make ends meet' and raise their young family. His father had received a severance pay when he broke his leg, but the money had long since been used as he had bought the small farm when the factory he worked in closed down and the remaining money had been used to pay the doctor & his hospital fees. Therefore, in order to try to provide for his family their father makes the heart-breaking decision to leave his wife and family to risk his own life in the hope he would be able secure work in the North of America and in turn send money home.
Before he leaves Will's father designates his older son, Will the responsibility of being 'man of the house' and helping his mother till the land and plant the crops. Worried about his mother's health and wanting to help provide for his family Will goes above and beyond his father's instructions. By delegating most of the crop planting to his younger siblings and incorporating the knowledge he has learned from his economics lesson to help provide the basic necessities, such as food, clothing and much-needed finance, whilst awaiting any money their dad would be able to send them.
Ms. Biery illustrates how Will's determination and hard work earn him the respect of many of the men at his local train station, his teacher and the villagers, and how they in turn help him to realise his dreams.
The story is set during the Great Depression in Tenesee. Will's mother, Lavinia is pregnant and due to complications, she will have to be taken to the local hospital when it is time for her to give birth, otherwise she and/or the baby may die. Although, Will's father wants his wife to have the best possible care, he is concerned that he will be unable to fund his wife's hospital fees as they are already struggling to 'make ends meet' and raise their young family. His father had received a severance pay when he broke his leg, but the money had long since been used as he had bought the small farm when the factory he worked in closed down and the remaining money had been used to pay the doctor & his hospital fees. Therefore, in order to try to provide for his family their father makes the heart-breaking decision to leave his wife and family to risk his own life in the hope he would be able secure work in the North of America and in turn send money home.
Before he leaves Will's father designates his older son, Will the responsibility of being 'man of the house' and helping his mother till the land and plant the crops. Worried about his mother's health and wanting to help provide for his family Will goes above and beyond his father's instructions. By delegating most of the crop planting to his younger siblings and incorporating the knowledge he has learned from his economics lesson to help provide the basic necessities, such as food, clothing and much-needed finance, whilst awaiting any money their dad would be able to send them.
Ms. Biery illustrates how Will's determination and hard work earn him the respect of many of the men at his local train station, his teacher and the villagers, and how they in turn help him to realise his dreams.
August 5, 2014
Will Henry is a lovely book, loosely based on an episode from the life of the author’s father. Set in depression America, it’s an era when children had to grow up fast and sacrifice their dreams to help take care of their families. Although catalogued as a children’s book, Will Henry is perfectly suitable for adults as well.
J R Biery vividly captures a world that has now all but disappeared – a world in which the traditional virtues of faith, thrift and hard work are all-important. The book flows effortlessly from start to finish, and the reader finds herself in full sympathy with the young hero, willing him on, and hoping for a happy ending. The narrator is unobtrusive – all you notice is the story, and that is the sign of a true storyteller.
J R Biery vividly captures a world that has now all but disappeared – a world in which the traditional virtues of faith, thrift and hard work are all-important. The book flows effortlessly from start to finish, and the reader finds herself in full sympathy with the young hero, willing him on, and hoping for a happy ending. The narrator is unobtrusive – all you notice is the story, and that is the sign of a true storyteller.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews