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Wrecker
After foster-parenting four young siblings a decade ago, Summer Wood tried to imagine a place where kids who are left alone or taken from their families would find the love and the family they deserve. For her, fiction was the tool to realize that world, and Wrecker, the central character in her second novel, is the abandoned child for whom life turns around in most unexpected ways. It's June of 1965 when Wrecker enters the world. The war is raging in Vietnam, San Francisco is tripping toward flower power, and Lisa Fay, Wrecker's birth mother, is knocked nearly sideways by life as a single parent in a city she can barely manage to navigate on her own. Three years later, she's in prison, and Wrecker is left to bounce around in the system before he's shipped off to live with distant relatives in the wilds of Humboldt County, California. When he arrives he's scared and angry, exploding at the least thing, and quick to flee. Wrecker is the story of this boy and the motley group of isolated eccentrics who come together to raise him and become a family along the way.
For readers taken with the special boy at the center of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle , Wrecker will be a welcome companion.
For readers taken with the special boy at the center of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle , Wrecker will be a welcome companion.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
July 10, 2017
Two and a half stars.
This had all the elements of things I like in a story. There is a child, named Wrecker, who at three years old needs to be fostered or adopted out as his mother Lisa Fay is sent to prison for fifteen years. Wrecker is sent to love with relatives in Humboldt County. But Len has enough to deal with, caring for his wife Meg who is incapacitated, barely speaks and requires a lot of looking after. So the group of Melody, Willow, Ruth and Johnnie Appleseed, who live nearby end up being the ones to look after him. Life with Wrecker changes them all, but maybe not in the ways imagined.
I thought the premise of this story was good and I was interested to find out how Wrecker fared. Whether it was just me not concentrating or what, but I struggled for a long time getting two of the characters, Melody and Willow, confused. Also I felt too much of the time the reader was being told what happened rather than letting us see the characters of the people by their words and actions. The characters and story never involved me the way I thought it would. I always felt like someone on the outside watching characters get moved around like chess pieces rather than sharing their lives with them. Others may well love it but all in all I was left rather disappointed. I never felt compelled to get back to reading it. It’s not that long a book, only 287 pages, but it took me longer than normal to read, which shows I was not overly engaged. The writing style to me did not flow easily but seemed rather disjointed.
This had all the elements of things I like in a story. There is a child, named Wrecker, who at three years old needs to be fostered or adopted out as his mother Lisa Fay is sent to prison for fifteen years. Wrecker is sent to love with relatives in Humboldt County. But Len has enough to deal with, caring for his wife Meg who is incapacitated, barely speaks and requires a lot of looking after. So the group of Melody, Willow, Ruth and Johnnie Appleseed, who live nearby end up being the ones to look after him. Life with Wrecker changes them all, but maybe not in the ways imagined.
I thought the premise of this story was good and I was interested to find out how Wrecker fared. Whether it was just me not concentrating or what, but I struggled for a long time getting two of the characters, Melody and Willow, confused. Also I felt too much of the time the reader was being told what happened rather than letting us see the characters of the people by their words and actions. The characters and story never involved me the way I thought it would. I always felt like someone on the outside watching characters get moved around like chess pieces rather than sharing their lives with them. Others may well love it but all in all I was left rather disappointed. I never felt compelled to get back to reading it. It’s not that long a book, only 287 pages, but it took me longer than normal to read, which shows I was not overly engaged. The writing style to me did not flow easily but seemed rather disjointed.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : Raising Wrecker - Nevisande : Summer Wood - ISBN : 160819972X - ISBN13 : 9781608199723 - Dar 304 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2011
September 22, 2021
I had trouble with connecting to the story, allthough, the set up was interesting: a 3 year old boy, who was taken away from his mother. To avoid that he got lost in the system, the brother in law of Wrecker's mother sister fostered him. But Len, struggles with his own problems (his wife being incapacipated and unable to speak after a root canal treathment going bad), he leaves the care to Meldoy, Ruth, Willow and Johhny. I never got the feeling that the characters told their story themselves. It was more the author that was telling what was happening and that somehow, missed the depth in the story.
Sometimes there was the feeling that the events, the characters...missed the connection and as a reader you are all over the story.
But maybe, I'll read it again and will I understand the book better.
Sometimes there was the feeling that the events, the characters...missed the connection and as a reader you are all over the story.
But maybe, I'll read it again and will I understand the book better.
April 28, 2012
Wrecker is a fabulous book of the love for a young boy through a caring, supportive unconventional family. The beginning of the story grabs your attention when Wrecker is born in a San Francisco park to a homeless young woman who loses him when he is three years old because she is heading to prison. Wrecker's Uncle Len is called to care for him, but circumstances beyond his control make it impossible for him to keep Wrecker.
As the story unfolds we meet a variety of fascinating characters living in California's Mattole Valley on Bow Farm. Summer's beautiful writing creates a vivid picture of the scenry and we grow to know and love the well developed characters in Wrecker's life. Interesting twists and turns keep this compelling story a page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed Wrecker and didn't want it to end.
We read this as a book club and had the wonderful opportunity to Skype with Summer Wood. What a delightful, marvelous author! Wrecker was enriched for all of us as Summer shared her perspective on the characters and her writing process. It grew out of her love for Wrecker and incredible ability as a writer. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
Mary Kay Cooney
As the story unfolds we meet a variety of fascinating characters living in California's Mattole Valley on Bow Farm. Summer's beautiful writing creates a vivid picture of the scenry and we grow to know and love the well developed characters in Wrecker's life. Interesting twists and turns keep this compelling story a page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed Wrecker and didn't want it to end.
We read this as a book club and had the wonderful opportunity to Skype with Summer Wood. What a delightful, marvelous author! Wrecker was enriched for all of us as Summer shared her perspective on the characters and her writing process. It grew out of her love for Wrecker and incredible ability as a writer. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
Mary Kay Cooney
May 18, 2022
A bit of a unnecessarily drawn out squib of a novel for me.
My faith in the believability of the narrative was shaken when a dude pushing sixty managed to have sex four times in one session.
Rather than the value and poignancy of child rearing, what I will take away from this book is the fact that geese actually can live to 20.
My faith in the believability of the narrative was shaken when a dude pushing sixty managed to have sex four times in one session.
Rather than the value and poignancy of child rearing, what I will take away from this book is the fact that geese actually can live to 20.
March 1, 2011
The subject of the story is the rearing of a motherless boy—three years old at the opening of the novel and eighteen at the end—by what I would call an “intentional” (i.e. communal) community in the far reaches of northern California. It’s a dramatic, heart-rending and—yes, it’s fair to say—ultimately a happy story, although the word happy seems woefully inadequate to describe its fullness of heart.
The back-to-the-land setting is authentic, which I found refreshing. The author clearly loves each and every one of her characters. They are flawed; they are profoundly heroic. Wrecker, the boy at the core, is … well, he’s quite “a package.” As he matures, the word beautiful is often used to describe him. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that captures a male spirit—both its tenderness and strength—so well: in a boy, in a teen, in a man.
What I do not see mentioned in the reviews (so far)—and it’s something I found exceptional in this novel—is the voice, that elusive intelligence that informs literary fiction. As a writer, I’d call it jaw-dropping prose. Sorry, that’s not very elegant: but there it is. Pace, details, dialogue: all spare, all rich and perfectly enchanting.
For more on what I think of this wonderful novel, see my review on my blog:
http://www.sandragulland.com/writingl...
Sandra Gulland
*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://bit.ly/sgullandFacebook
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland
Tumblr: http://sandragulland.tumblr.com/
The back-to-the-land setting is authentic, which I found refreshing. The author clearly loves each and every one of her characters. They are flawed; they are profoundly heroic. Wrecker, the boy at the core, is … well, he’s quite “a package.” As he matures, the word beautiful is often used to describe him. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that captures a male spirit—both its tenderness and strength—so well: in a boy, in a teen, in a man.
What I do not see mentioned in the reviews (so far)—and it’s something I found exceptional in this novel—is the voice, that elusive intelligence that informs literary fiction. As a writer, I’d call it jaw-dropping prose. Sorry, that’s not very elegant: but there it is. Pace, details, dialogue: all spare, all rich and perfectly enchanting.
For more on what I think of this wonderful novel, see my review on my blog:
http://www.sandragulland.com/writingl...
Sandra Gulland
*****
Website: http://www.sandragulland.com/
Blog: http://sandragulland.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://bit.ly/sgullandFacebook
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandra_Gulland
Tumblr: http://sandragulland.tumblr.com/
February 21, 2011
I had a hard time deciding whether to give this book 2 or 3 stars. I definitely like the second half of the book better than the first.
Wrecker is a slow-moving novel with many characters. The characters are stumbling through life, each with their own issues and agenda. I felt like I stumbled through the novel as I read it, not really sure if I cared about these characters or not. The story itself is interesting, and something about it kept me reading.
I found it very disjointed though. At times, we get background info on the characters that seems tossed in and doesn't have an authentic feel to it.
The story is very definitely more about the people who raise Wrecker than Wrecker himself. By the last third of the novel, there seemed to be more cohesiveness to the plot and the relationships between the characters. I think the idea behind the story is a good one. I liked the setting. I needed the book to be more cohesive, and I needed more reasons to care about some of these characters.
Wood's descriptions are vivid-- I can see Bow Farm clearly. Wood also shows how all people have something in them that is broken and how we search for those who can help us mend.
Wrecker is a slow-moving novel with many characters. The characters are stumbling through life, each with their own issues and agenda. I felt like I stumbled through the novel as I read it, not really sure if I cared about these characters or not. The story itself is interesting, and something about it kept me reading.
I found it very disjointed though. At times, we get background info on the characters that seems tossed in and doesn't have an authentic feel to it.
The story is very definitely more about the people who raise Wrecker than Wrecker himself. By the last third of the novel, there seemed to be more cohesiveness to the plot and the relationships between the characters. I think the idea behind the story is a good one. I liked the setting. I needed the book to be more cohesive, and I needed more reasons to care about some of these characters.
Wood's descriptions are vivid-- I can see Bow Farm clearly. Wood also shows how all people have something in them that is broken and how we search for those who can help us mend.
April 21, 2011
I am starting to think that the books being on a "best of 2011 so far" aren't that great of a recommendation. Do publishers write the lists to get us dummies who don't know any better to buy the books they publish??? I want independent recommendations, thanks!
Wrecker was OK. It wasn't fabulous although the story had potential. I felt the climax was anti-climactic and I would have liked more and better examples of Wrecker actually wrecking more than clean laundry and a motorcycle's front fork. I liked the characters, although they could have been more thoroughly developed through expanded back stories. We found out Willow's story at the end and it wasn't as horrifying as we had been led to expect. I kept thinking is that all?? Overall, the book just skimmed the surface of what could have been a really good story and the ending was flat.
Wrecker was OK. It wasn't fabulous although the story had potential. I felt the climax was anti-climactic and I would have liked more and better examples of Wrecker actually wrecking more than clean laundry and a motorcycle's front fork. I liked the characters, although they could have been more thoroughly developed through expanded back stories. We found out Willow's story at the end and it wasn't as horrifying as we had been led to expect. I kept thinking is that all?? Overall, the book just skimmed the surface of what could have been a really good story and the ending was flat.
December 1, 2014
The title of the novel - Raising Wrecker- evoked images of destruction, of a boy doomed from the day his mother named him. In the end this is a novel of unconditional love, repair, acceptance. A novel underlining that a "family" does not need to be by blood and birth alone (on the contrary, Melody's relationship with her parents forms a sharp contrast).
Motherhood as a theme, is superbly drawn like a thread right through the novel, whether it is by birth or choice or circumstance.
With the beautiful use of language, with the rhythm of words and sentences, Summer Woods reminds the reader of the work it takes to be a family, to love unconditionally.
I found this a wonderfully uplifting read!
Motherhood as a theme, is superbly drawn like a thread right through the novel, whether it is by birth or choice or circumstance.
With the beautiful use of language, with the rhythm of words and sentences, Summer Woods reminds the reader of the work it takes to be a family, to love unconditionally.
I found this a wonderfully uplifting read!
February 17, 2012
It was a struggle to finish this.
But I stayed because the writing -- and the scenery those words depicted -- was so darn pretty. Really, really nice.
I stayed because I appreciated the effort, the spirit of the joint: A real family ain't necessarily a mom and a dad and a 2.5 kids and their dog. Applaud that point. Go 'head with it.
I stayed because I wanted to embrace the characters ...
... but I certainly didn't stay because I needed to know what happened. I didn't expect anything significant to happen, and nothing really did in the, um, exciting sense. Which is fine. But the set-up was so obnoxiously button-pushing obvious. Reminded me of that movie "Crash," which inexplicably (to me) cleaned up at the Oscars some years back.
I hated (haaaated) that flick because, A, it didn't depict the LA I live in, and, B, because the drama was so calculated, so easy, predictable in the way that Nielson might approve of: We've studied what makes audiences cry, and we're gonna load up on it.
Similar thing here. The payment on the house is due the same time Mom's gonna be let out of jail, which happens to be just about exactly when the kid is gonna turn 18 ... I guess I don't like preparing for the onset of melodrama. I guess I just don't want it totally spoon fed.
But whatev; that wasn't really that big a deal. Especially because none of those storylines satisfyingly boiled over, anyway.
Also no biggie: My irritating knack for being irritated by child-birthing/rearing stories that don't feel authentic. I actually don't know much about the author, Summer Wood, but there were spots where this reminded me of "Juno." I could tell, without knowing anything about the creator of that film, that she hadn't actually been pregnant. There were little (but majorly annoying) inaccuracies throughout the movie that I could never overlook. The whole story lost credibility with me because of it.
Wood's description of 3-year-old Wrecker often was that of a pouting preteen, and didn't at all jive with my kid's behavior when she was 3 -- or, moreover, with any of the other 3-year-olds we've been exposed to. For example.
But even that didn't wreck it.
My biggest issue: This story was a study in character study, but for so much of the tale, it was only that. There was a lot of telling, not so much showing (to use that old, played-out cliche.) We rarely got to see these fantastic characters in action. We got to watch them, and hear them talk, and they told us their back stories, but we so rarely got to know what they were really made of. It was like a sportswriter meeting an athlete, getting to know him or her and developing an opinion without ever actually seeing the person play the game, without knowing what he or she's really about when in his or her element, when the pressure's on, when it's showtime ...
When Ruth, the elderly auntie figure (and the best of the characters) follows grown-fast Wrecker to his fishing (ahem) spot, I was all about it, I was on the edge of my seat, so to speak. What was she going to find? Was she going to make it? And what would she do then?
But there was so little of that that the ending, the final unspooling of this long stretch of overlapping stories, felt perfectly accurate and appropriately flat.
But hell if I know anything. "Crash" and "Juno" were critically acclaimed, much-beloved big-ass hits with everyone but me.
But I stayed because the writing -- and the scenery those words depicted -- was so darn pretty. Really, really nice.
I stayed because I appreciated the effort, the spirit of the joint: A real family ain't necessarily a mom and a dad and a 2.5 kids and their dog. Applaud that point. Go 'head with it.
I stayed because I wanted to embrace the characters ...
... but I certainly didn't stay because I needed to know what happened. I didn't expect anything significant to happen, and nothing really did in the, um, exciting sense. Which is fine. But the set-up was so obnoxiously button-pushing obvious. Reminded me of that movie "Crash," which inexplicably (to me) cleaned up at the Oscars some years back.
I hated (haaaated) that flick because, A, it didn't depict the LA I live in, and, B, because the drama was so calculated, so easy, predictable in the way that Nielson might approve of: We've studied what makes audiences cry, and we're gonna load up on it.
Similar thing here. The payment on the house is due the same time Mom's gonna be let out of jail, which happens to be just about exactly when the kid is gonna turn 18 ... I guess I don't like preparing for the onset of melodrama. I guess I just don't want it totally spoon fed.
But whatev; that wasn't really that big a deal. Especially because none of those storylines satisfyingly boiled over, anyway.
Also no biggie: My irritating knack for being irritated by child-birthing/rearing stories that don't feel authentic. I actually don't know much about the author, Summer Wood, but there were spots where this reminded me of "Juno." I could tell, without knowing anything about the creator of that film, that she hadn't actually been pregnant. There were little (but majorly annoying) inaccuracies throughout the movie that I could never overlook. The whole story lost credibility with me because of it.
Wood's description of 3-year-old Wrecker often was that of a pouting preteen, and didn't at all jive with my kid's behavior when she was 3 -- or, moreover, with any of the other 3-year-olds we've been exposed to. For example.
But even that didn't wreck it.
My biggest issue: This story was a study in character study, but for so much of the tale, it was only that. There was a lot of telling, not so much showing (to use that old, played-out cliche.) We rarely got to see these fantastic characters in action. We got to watch them, and hear them talk, and they told us their back stories, but we so rarely got to know what they were really made of. It was like a sportswriter meeting an athlete, getting to know him or her and developing an opinion without ever actually seeing the person play the game, without knowing what he or she's really about when in his or her element, when the pressure's on, when it's showtime ...
When Ruth, the elderly auntie figure (and the best of the characters) follows grown-fast Wrecker to his fishing (ahem) spot, I was all about it, I was on the edge of my seat, so to speak. What was she going to find? Was she going to make it? And what would she do then?
But there was so little of that that the ending, the final unspooling of this long stretch of overlapping stories, felt perfectly accurate and appropriately flat.
But hell if I know anything. "Crash" and "Juno" were critically acclaimed, much-beloved big-ass hits with everyone but me.
Read
May 3, 2011The child came into the world in a San Francisco city park, born to an unmarried hippie mother who didn’t even bother naming him for a year. When the boy shows a talent, even at such a young age, for being disruptive and getting into things he shouldn’t his mother, Lisa Fay, finally decides on a name for him: Wrecker. With a start like that, it’s no wonder life ends up being an uphill battle for the boy.
Unprepared for dealing with a child, especially after Wrecker’s father exists stage left, Lisa gets caught up in drugs, eventually leading to her involvement in a crime that lands her in prison looking at a 30 year stretch. So, at the ripe old age of three Wrecker enters the California foster care system, bouncing around a bit until his uncle, Len, is located in the Mattole River Valley of Humboldt County in upstate California and agrees to take the boy in.
Already caring for a wife debilitated by the effects of an infection that attacked her brain, Len quickly realizes he is in no position to keep up with Wrecker. Enter the residents of Bow Farm, a small community of four individuals who live just up the road from Len. Used to chipping in to help Len care for his wife, they agree to temporarily take in Wrecker until Len can arrange to take him back to child welfare in San Francisco. Temporarily turns into seventeen years, as we follow Wrecker from age three to twenty and watch how the ragtag Bow Farm community helps shape him into a strong young man, and how he brings them all together in a way they couldn’t possibly have foreseen when they first agreed to watch the wild child known as Wrecker.
I went into this book a little skeptical, the peace-love-harmony vibe of the 60’s not really being my cup of tea. Add to that a plot that revolves around foster care, something I have no experience with directly or indirectly, and one may wonder why I even bothered. Chalk that up to Lisa at TLC who seems to be particularly skilled at luring me out of my comfort zone, and once again she didn’t lead me astray.
Though the book begins in the late 60’s and unfolds in the mini commune setting of Bow Farm, I never got the stereotypical “hippie” vibe while reading Wrecker. Instead, through author Summer Wood’s beautifully understated prose I came to know and genuinely care about each of the people who came to make up Wrecker’s unusual family. Each arrived at Bow Farm with their own particular baggage and blind spots but, along with Len, they close ranks around Wrecker, coming together to form not just a community of people living together, but a genuine family dedicated to raising their collective child.
And then, of course, there is Wrecker himself. Determined when he first arrives not to conform to the demands adults place upon him, Wrecker slowly comes to realize the Bow Farm community isn’t really “demanding” anything; they don’t want to control him, but neither will they let the “wild child” control them. A détente of sorts quickly springs up, one that over time thaws into genuine love and respect. Wood’s exploration of Wrecker’s development from an angry, confused, withdrawn child to that of a strong, quietly confident young man is thoroughly engaging, yet amazingly subtle. Quite simply, Wrecker is the magical story of a child named for destruction, who grows up to create something incredibly special.
Unprepared for dealing with a child, especially after Wrecker’s father exists stage left, Lisa gets caught up in drugs, eventually leading to her involvement in a crime that lands her in prison looking at a 30 year stretch. So, at the ripe old age of three Wrecker enters the California foster care system, bouncing around a bit until his uncle, Len, is located in the Mattole River Valley of Humboldt County in upstate California and agrees to take the boy in.
Already caring for a wife debilitated by the effects of an infection that attacked her brain, Len quickly realizes he is in no position to keep up with Wrecker. Enter the residents of Bow Farm, a small community of four individuals who live just up the road from Len. Used to chipping in to help Len care for his wife, they agree to temporarily take in Wrecker until Len can arrange to take him back to child welfare in San Francisco. Temporarily turns into seventeen years, as we follow Wrecker from age three to twenty and watch how the ragtag Bow Farm community helps shape him into a strong young man, and how he brings them all together in a way they couldn’t possibly have foreseen when they first agreed to watch the wild child known as Wrecker.
I went into this book a little skeptical, the peace-love-harmony vibe of the 60’s not really being my cup of tea. Add to that a plot that revolves around foster care, something I have no experience with directly or indirectly, and one may wonder why I even bothered. Chalk that up to Lisa at TLC who seems to be particularly skilled at luring me out of my comfort zone, and once again she didn’t lead me astray.
Though the book begins in the late 60’s and unfolds in the mini commune setting of Bow Farm, I never got the stereotypical “hippie” vibe while reading Wrecker. Instead, through author Summer Wood’s beautifully understated prose I came to know and genuinely care about each of the people who came to make up Wrecker’s unusual family. Each arrived at Bow Farm with their own particular baggage and blind spots but, along with Len, they close ranks around Wrecker, coming together to form not just a community of people living together, but a genuine family dedicated to raising their collective child.
And then, of course, there is Wrecker himself. Determined when he first arrives not to conform to the demands adults place upon him, Wrecker slowly comes to realize the Bow Farm community isn’t really “demanding” anything; they don’t want to control him, but neither will they let the “wild child” control them. A détente of sorts quickly springs up, one that over time thaws into genuine love and respect. Wood’s exploration of Wrecker’s development from an angry, confused, withdrawn child to that of a strong, quietly confident young man is thoroughly engaging, yet amazingly subtle. Quite simply, Wrecker is the magical story of a child named for destruction, who grows up to create something incredibly special.
November 5, 2011
It was a time of escape, of trying out new experiences, and a time for love. But for Lisa Fay, life in San Francisco in the mid-sixties became more than she could manage. She fell in with the wrong crowd, got caught up in the frenzy rather than the peace...and one day, life happened to her in ways she hadn't expected.
Giving birth to her son one day in the park was only the beginning of her out-of-control life, and when he was three-years-old, this child who also dashed through life everyday, wreaking havoc and earning the name "Wrecker," was lost to her when she was arrested for a number of charges. She was off to prison for thirty years (fifteen for good behavior), and Wrecker was off to the foster care system.
Enter Len, an accidental relative, husband to Lisa's sister Meg. By age three, Wrecker had blown out of every placement and there was nothing left for him except group homes. Or this one relative.
Len and Meg, his brain damaged wife, live in Humboldt County in Northern California. They are used to a simple life, free of chaos and the complexities of the rest of the world. What can an angry, frightened, and wrecking-ball of a child bring to this world, and how will he change them? How will the neighboring communal friends step in to offer just the right mix of support, comfort, and consistency that will be just what this child needs?
"Wrecker: A Novel" is a story that spans more than two decades, showing a glimpse of how the gentle life into which this child has stumbled offers that "soft place to land." Yes, there are challenges along the way. And no apparent support from the system. We don't see any social workers checking on this child after placement, which probably was typical of the times. The rather loosely arranged placement and then later, the adoption, seem all too casual.
Meanwhile, as we learn bits and pieces of Wrecker's life, we also glimpse Lisa Fay's life inside prison from time to time. In the end, life seems to come full circle in a satisfying way. A loving story full of the miraculous possibilities of life. Four stars.
Giving birth to her son one day in the park was only the beginning of her out-of-control life, and when he was three-years-old, this child who also dashed through life everyday, wreaking havoc and earning the name "Wrecker," was lost to her when she was arrested for a number of charges. She was off to prison for thirty years (fifteen for good behavior), and Wrecker was off to the foster care system.
Enter Len, an accidental relative, husband to Lisa's sister Meg. By age three, Wrecker had blown out of every placement and there was nothing left for him except group homes. Or this one relative.
Len and Meg, his brain damaged wife, live in Humboldt County in Northern California. They are used to a simple life, free of chaos and the complexities of the rest of the world. What can an angry, frightened, and wrecking-ball of a child bring to this world, and how will he change them? How will the neighboring communal friends step in to offer just the right mix of support, comfort, and consistency that will be just what this child needs?
"Wrecker: A Novel" is a story that spans more than two decades, showing a glimpse of how the gentle life into which this child has stumbled offers that "soft place to land." Yes, there are challenges along the way. And no apparent support from the system. We don't see any social workers checking on this child after placement, which probably was typical of the times. The rather loosely arranged placement and then later, the adoption, seem all too casual.
Meanwhile, as we learn bits and pieces of Wrecker's life, we also glimpse Lisa Fay's life inside prison from time to time. In the end, life seems to come full circle in a satisfying way. A loving story full of the miraculous possibilities of life. Four stars.
February 4, 2011
"Wrecker" is beautifully written...almost poetic and quite lyrical in some descriptions. The characters are brought to life slowly throughout the book so I was often not quite sure why a character acted a certain way until further reading revealed more background information. Though Wreaker was "adopted" by his uncle, he was raised on a commune-like farm among some interesting (to say the least) caretakers. No visits by child welfare...I suppose that agency did not come into play in the mid-60s or perhaps not as far into the redwoods as was Bow Farm. Wreaker was loved and lived without questioning his background. However, it was inevitable that he be told of, and finally meet, his biological mother was was jailed when Wreaker was three.
There was the requisite secret and forbidden love, the odd assortment of comings and goings of the people at the farm, the selfless and caring husband of a mentally incapacitated wife and the charming escapades of the young boy who came to stay at Bow Farm. I can't say that I loved this book, but it was a pleasant diversion which I can recommend without pause.
There was the requisite secret and forbidden love, the odd assortment of comings and goings of the people at the farm, the selfless and caring husband of a mentally incapacitated wife and the charming escapades of the young boy who came to stay at Bow Farm. I can't say that I loved this book, but it was a pleasant diversion which I can recommend without pause.
February 3, 2011
I won this book through First Reads.
This book was a great look at how it can take a village to raise a child and that love for a child can bring people together.
While we never learn what Wrecker thinks about anything, we end up observing him through every one else's eyes. I wanted to know more than anything just what he thought about being adopted, about being abandoned, and about growing up amongst those eccentric but well-meaning people.
*SPOILER* Wrecker didn't end up being some amazing hero after all of his trials and tribulations, he was just a young man starting out on his own. I actually loved the fact that the story was about him growing up and having a hard time and then...just being a normal adult. *SPOILER*
I could tell that this subject was close to the author's heart and that she truly wanted to create a world of love for a lost little boy.
The only thing I disliked about the book is that each of the characters could have easily been an entire story all on their own and the little glimpses that you were given were enough to make you want to know the rest of their stoires. But that is how life really is.
This book was a great look at how it can take a village to raise a child and that love for a child can bring people together.
While we never learn what Wrecker thinks about anything, we end up observing him through every one else's eyes. I wanted to know more than anything just what he thought about being adopted, about being abandoned, and about growing up amongst those eccentric but well-meaning people.
*SPOILER* Wrecker didn't end up being some amazing hero after all of his trials and tribulations, he was just a young man starting out on his own. I actually loved the fact that the story was about him growing up and having a hard time and then...just being a normal adult. *SPOILER*
I could tell that this subject was close to the author's heart and that she truly wanted to create a world of love for a lost little boy.
The only thing I disliked about the book is that each of the characters could have easily been an entire story all on their own and the little glimpses that you were given were enough to make you want to know the rest of their stoires. But that is how life really is.
March 11, 2015
I vacillated between 2 stars and 3 stars for this novel. I would have preferred a 2.5 star rating. The plot line had great potential and at times really held my attention. However, I really struggled with the writer's style in that there was too much vagueness throughout the book. The characters were hard for me to 'connect' with as well. Wrecker is the name of one of the primary characters of the book. He is 3 years old when his mother, Lisa Fay, is sent to prison for her involvement in drugs and a shooting. He ends up being taken in by a group of 3 women living in a commune lifestyle in northern California by the coast. Each one of these women has rejected their traditional lives for various reasons and, ironically, the one who has rebelled the most against traditional society is the one who becomes most attached to Wrecker and takes on the role of mother to him. The book goes on to share pieces of Wrecker's life up to the age of 20 as well as the lives of the 3 women and Wrecker's uncle, Len, who lives nearby. The author also inserts sections which touch on what Wrecker's mother, Lisa Fay is going through during this time.
May 16, 2011
Interesting story with great character development. The story line was unique, as least to me, and I won't forget this book. Wrecker's mother gets involved with drug dealing and ends up in jail, leaving the three year old boy in need of a home. His aunt and uncle are his only relatives, and although he goes to live with them, they have troubles of their own. Their neighbors, a small group of people escaping from society, begin to help with caring for the very lively child.
I haven't given any thing away because all of this happens very early in the story. About two decades are covered in this sweet story, and I felt a comfortable familiarity with the characters as we went through all of those years. I highy recommend this book. It's a little slow in the middle, but well worth the read.
I haven't given any thing away because all of this happens very early in the story. About two decades are covered in this sweet story, and I felt a comfortable familiarity with the characters as we went through all of those years. I highy recommend this book. It's a little slow in the middle, but well worth the read.
January 31, 2011
I won this book on first reads! I really loved everything about it- from the characters to the beautiful outdoor setting. "Wrecker" is well written and feels honest. The last few chapters explained some details- such a glimpse into Willow's past that made for a really satisfying ending.
There are so many negative books about foster homes with false perceptions, but "Wrecker" broke the stereotype. The only slight criticism I had was that Wrecker never questioned his unusual family dynamic or lack of a father. I think he would have caught on to something regarding his history, as he is a very bright boy.
There are so many negative books about foster homes with false perceptions, but "Wrecker" broke the stereotype. The only slight criticism I had was that Wrecker never questioned his unusual family dynamic or lack of a father. I think he would have caught on to something regarding his history, as he is a very bright boy.
June 18, 2011
I received this book as a Goodreads First Reader book.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book and if I was going to like it. The boy, Wrecker, grew up in the same time frame that I did and I was looking forward to seeing who the author portrayed this era. Ms. Wood did an excellent job with this book. I stayed interested through out the book. I think any child growing up needs the love and caring of all the adults that they come in contact with on a regular basis. Not a village - but a FAMILY and that is what the people that raised Wrecker were - maybe not related by blood but they definitely were family. I definitely recommend this book!
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book and if I was going to like it. The boy, Wrecker, grew up in the same time frame that I did and I was looking forward to seeing who the author portrayed this era. Ms. Wood did an excellent job with this book. I stayed interested through out the book. I think any child growing up needs the love and caring of all the adults that they come in contact with on a regular basis. Not a village - but a FAMILY and that is what the people that raised Wrecker were - maybe not related by blood but they definitely were family. I definitely recommend this book!
May 8, 2011
This is a wonderful, wonderful book. It follows the life of Wrecker, a boy taken into state custody at age three, through his growing up years in the wilds of Humboldt County in Northern California, until the time that Wrecker becomes a strong young man. But it is not only his story, but the story of the loving but damaged group of people who, by default, end up raising Wrecker. And it's a story of love, and how love can, ultimately, save you. I was very deeply moved by this beautifully written story, and I highly recommend it.
May 31, 2011
When I finished this book, I felt completely satisfied and happy that I had spent time with these quirky characters. “Wrecker” moved along quickly and unfolded the histories of the odd characters in an easy-going manner. It also touched on the deep love and commitment that the parents/relatives of an adoptee can have, along with the fear of losing the child to a bio-parent/relative. Simply put, I loved the book.
November 26, 2012
This book made me miss Mendocino so badly. That area is a magical place for any child (and many adults), but especially those who need a little magic to smooth out reality.
There were a few rocks left unturned (the emotion in Wrecker when he helps take down the giant tree, and where the anti-loggers go), but the richness of language and characters was refreshing and rewarding.
There were a few rocks left unturned (the emotion in Wrecker when he helps take down the giant tree, and where the anti-loggers go), but the richness of language and characters was refreshing and rewarding.
May 23, 2011
Very matter a fact book. Interesting premise of a family being built around a little boy. Book follows Wrecker as a little boy of 3 to 18 years old. More of a stating facts kind of fiction book than a descriptive book.
September 7, 2011
I expected to like this book more than I did. There were a lot of characters, and they all seemed to just meander through the book -- Wrecker was the "wild child" although frankly he didn't seem all that wild and it would have been more interesting to hear his perspective on things.
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June 29, 2016I couldn't finish this book, it was very hard going
August 12, 2024
I'm not really sure what to say. I'm always skeptical of other goodreads reviews when starting a new book, but they were definitely on point on this one. I can't say the book is awful, but it's not particularly phenomenal, either.
For a light summer read, sure, it's fun. For any further depth, I would recommend something else. This is just a cute book, with a cute story. Reading it is like watching a Hallmark movie when you're not feeling well. It's just entartaining enough.
I respect the authors vision, of course, but a different ending would have also been so much more satisfying.
Start this book at your own "risk" whether you might enjoy it or not.
For a light summer read, sure, it's fun. For any further depth, I would recommend something else. This is just a cute book, with a cute story. Reading it is like watching a Hallmark movie when you're not feeling well. It's just entartaining enough.
I respect the authors vision, of course, but a different ending would have also been so much more satisfying.
Start this book at your own "risk" whether you might enjoy it or not.
February 23, 2023
I enjoyed this book - didn’t love it but I did get into it and at times found it hard to put down. Some of the relationships between the characters I found a little unbelievable but of course it is a fictional story after all. I thought Wrecker was probably ADHD but he was a little too good and helpful as a teenager ( not like any teenage boys I know!) however all the characters were different and quirky and in their own ways loveable. A nice easy read!!
August 9, 2022
I read the Advanced Reading Copy...a little late, I might add. The main take away from this slim novel is that family is people who stay, people who love and care for each other. The rest of the people are just people who may brighten your day for a while and then fade into the sadness of memories.
July 25, 2017
A good read that fleshed out some characters and teased at others, but ultimately didn't really lead to the climactic, showdown ending it hinted at.
August 16, 2017
Hard to get through. Pretty boring and predictable. Tried to be suspenseful with Willow's history but didn't work well. Wouldn't read again.
January 18, 2018
wish sian would read this but she doesnt read books that i have read first!
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