WallStreetJournalandNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorRobertDugoni’scoming-of-agestoryis,accordingtoBooklist,“anovelthat,ifitdoesn’tcrossentirelyoverintoJohnIrvingterritory,certainlynestlesinclosetotheborder.“SamHillalwayssawtheworldthroughdifferenteyes.Bornwithredpupils,hewascalled“DevilBoy“orSam“Hell“byhisclassmates;“God’swill“iswhathismothercalledhisocularalbinism.Herwordswereoflittlecomfort,butSampersevered,buoyedbyhismother’sdevoutfaith,hisfather’spracticalwisdom,andhistwoothermisfitfriends.SambelieveditwasGodwhosentErnieCantwell,theonlyAfricanAmericankidinhisclass,tobethefriendhesodesperatelyneeded.AndthatitwasGod’sideaforMickieKennedytostormintoOurLadyofMercylikeatornado,uprootingeveryruleSamhadbeentaughtaboutboysandgirls.Fortyyearslater,Sam,asmall-towneyedoctor,isnolongercertainanythingwasbydesign--especiallynotthetragedythatcausedhimtoturnhisbackonhisfriends,hishometown,andthelifehe’dalwaysknown.Runningfromthepain,eyesclosed,servedlittlepurpose.Now,ashelooksbackonhislife,Samembarksonajourneythatwilltakehimhalfwayaroundtheworld.Thistime,hiseyesarewideopen--bringingintoclearviewwhatchangedhim,definedhim,andmadehimsoafraid,untilhecanfinallyseewhattrulymatters.
