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Page 10 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM March 2024
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Book of the Month:
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell By Robert Dugoni
By BRittany amalfi
It's been quite some time since I delved into a Book of the Month selection that left me grappling with the very es- sence of humanity. The Extraor- dinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni is nothing short of a literary masterpiece. Within its pages, Dugoni skillfully unravels the profound intricacies of nav- igating life as someone inher- ently different in a community that may not readily embrace uniqueness. The narrative un-
folds with a compelling empa- thy that draws readers into the world of a boy with an excep- tionally rare condition. As the story unfolds, readers, much like the characters encountering this boy with striking red eyes, find themselves opening not just their minds but also their hearts to the challenges and triumphs that accompany the extraordi- nary journey of Sam Hell.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is written in two different timelines, ultimately leading up to the life that Sam Hell lives. The narrator, Sam himself, de- scribes what it was like growing up in a small community and at- tending a very religious private school with red eyes. At birth, His mother deemed Sam would have an extraordinary life, and as he grew up, Sam encoun- tered so many negativities that he wasn’t so sure his mother would be right.
The story switches from Samuel during his adult years to his growing up. The readers get a glimpse of his birth, all the way to his high school graduation and beyond. Unfortunately, Sam’s life is full of sadness and heartache, but that’s not all. Throughout his life, Sam may have been faced with many hurdles, but he was also lucky enough to have wonderful parents and two incredible friends. Watching Sam grow and navigate the hurdles in his life, from nasty teachers to malicious bullies to the inevitable loss of loved ones, he handles it all step by step and day by day.
Sam’s story covers everything from the harsh realities of being a teenager to the grief that comes with tragedy. It’s almost like this book is like a broad spectrum of the raw, natural
evolution of human life, but navigated while being outwardly different. Sam knew from an early age that his red eyes made him different from everyone else, thus propelling his path in
life to be tumultuous, which he handled with care.
It was interesting to see all of the people in Sam’s life navigate his unique appear- ance. Some were bullies, some were loving, and some just didn’t care. This book captured what people’s dif- ferent reactions were, giving the reader a sense of com- fort that not everyone is the same in specific situations.
Dugoni did a phenom- enal job of capturing the wide range of emotions that come with growing up with a certain uniqueness about someone. There is nothing easy about it, which Dugoni made clear in Sam’s story,
but also, there is quite a bit of hope and beauty that comes with growing up differently. It might just mean you are meant to live an extraordinary life.
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