The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: A Novel

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Sam Hill's birth in 1957 caused quite a stir, as he was born with ocular albinism, which left him with red pupils. While his religiously devout mother viewed his eyes as evidence of the extraordinary potential his life holds. That's not the unanimous view of everyone in their community, however—his Catholic school classmates refer to him as "Devil Boy." When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed. Sam endures bullying and outright discrimination due to his physical appearance. His childhood is tough, and he questions his faith. Sam’s mother is his best advocate and champion. The love between all members of this family was palpable and inextinguishable. Robert Dugoni: First, I wanted to show that bullying is a learned trait by most children. Often children who become bullies are bullied at home. Second I wanted to create a situation where Sam generally believed he was standing up to the bully and doing something positive for the wife. He was not going to be intimidated by David Bateman. Q: The one thing that grabbed my attention in The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is that the antagonists aren’t one dimensional, instead, they’re all battling their own demons, which helped me empathize with them and not just with Sam. Is that something that you try to do with all your antagonists?

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - SuperSummary The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - SuperSummary

Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” or Sam “Hell” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends. I am a small business marketing consultant and I love sharing titles of great books I read on my blog, https://booknationbyjen.com. Robert Dugoni: Absolutely. Antagonists are people. Unless you are writing a psychopath (only about 4% of the population) or a sociopath (also a small percentage). Most people are not evil at their core. They are fighting personal demons. I had a grandfather who was an alcoholic, but my mother loved her father and that was the most difficult thing for her, I think. She loved him so much and couldn't understand why he disappointed her so much. David Bateman is battling his own demons, but his wife must have seen some good in him, and he had a beautiful little girl.Robert Dugoni: Tracy Crosswhite - probably Charlize Theron because she has a lot of depth. But others have made suggestions that seemed to fit just as well. Charles Jenkins I'd choose Idris Elba. Maybe Chiwetel Ejiofor. Hard to believe Idris Elba was on the Office for a short while, isn't it?

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni | Goodreads The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni | Goodreads

This book included so many types of love! The love of a mother and father. The love between friends. The love of God. The love for fellow man. Romantic love… Quite a departure from Dugoni’s dark novels about Detective Tracy Crosswhite ( The Trapped Girl, 2017, etc.): the frankly inspirational tale of a boy who overcomes the tremendous obstacles occasioned by the color of his eyes.

Sam's mother was determined that her son live life with great gusto, and not be discouraged by those who treat him badly or try to keep him from the opportunities given to every other child. Sam becomes the target of a trio of school bullies who wish to do him harm because of his eyes. But while his mother believes that events in Sam's life are determined by God's will, Sam isn't quite so sure that God would want him to suffer in fear and loneliness. Q: You’ve had a career as a lawyer before becoming a full-time novelist - has that influenced or helped your writing in a big way? At what point did you decide to give up practicing law and turn to writing full-time?

The Extraordinary Life Of Sam Hell Book Club Discussion The Extraordinary Life Of Sam Hell Book Club Discussion

Samuel Hill is the only son of an only son. While that may be rare in itself, Sam has been born with ocular albinism. While the lyrics of "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" seem strange, stranger still is the fact that Sam's eyes have a pink/red tone. Kids will find the tiniest thing in one's physicality to make fun of......but this was a field day for the little darlings at Our Lady of Mercy elementary school in Burlingame, California in the 1960's. "Show No Mercy" was their marching song. I’m going to be pedantic now: I’ve read on ocular albinism – Sam doesn’t seem to have as many issues as others seem to have, even when allowing for individual differences. Also, I had big doubts that someone who had had a stroke that had developed into dementia would last as long as Sam’s father did.This story encompasses a number of themes. These include bullying, deep friendship, wonderful parenting, the Catholic religion and its effect on its followers and previous followers, the institution of marriage, coming of age, grief, redemptio DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. I’m lowering mine just briefly enough to write out my thoughts on "The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell." While my sins were being too skinny, too pale, too meek and too much or too little of whatever my tormenters deemed acceptable at any given moment, Sam Hill had only one: he had ocular albinism. The end was a bit overdone, well maybe more than a bit, actually somewhat mushy. I was already sold on the book though, the journey these characters travel to find a fulfilling life. So, the ending didn't derail my opinion of the book, and I was actually a little teary eyed. Like I said, I'm now officially a marshmallow. What an engaging and poignant story! Sam Hell was born with ocular albinism, a condition that causes the blood vessels to show through the irises of the eye, giving a pink or red appearance. Sam’s family is deeply spiritual, and his mother believes his condition is simply God’s will.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: A Novel - Seattle Book Review The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell: A Novel - Seattle Book Review

Sam struggles with relationships and acceptance but has a big heart and an open mind. His experiences allow him to grow to be a man with confidence, skills and admirable values. We see how his belief system is created and influenced in childhood by his parents, friends, teachers and bullies and challenged by the same in his adult life. Sam is understanding and compassionate, and he believes in forgiveness. His love for his family and friends is unwavering and author Robert Dugoni shows us that our differences provide even more opportunities to lead extraordinary lives. Robert Dugoni: I grew up with a mother who was an English major and so she had all these classic books like The Great Gatsby and The Count of Monte Cristo and the Old Man and the Sea and that's what I grew up reading. I always thought those were the stories I would write, but things happen in our lives and I was in Law School when John Grisham and Scott Turow hit the bookshelves and that seemed like the easier path to publication. I learned there is no easier path.Robert Dugoni: Learn the craft. Study the Hero's Journey and really understand it. It will save you years of heartache and pain. Don't be stubborn. The art is not in your plotting. It is in your characters and their interactions with one another. Three estranged sisters reconnect in their Louisiana hometown to face an unresolved past in a heartfelt novel about family, grief, secrets, and forgiveness. A lot of people don't realize that this is the same author who wrote the popular Tracy Crosswhite series and the Charles Jenkins series and the David Sloane series. Sam's life isn't particularly extraordinary. Any child who has a disability or is 'different' in any way experiences all the same prejudices and ostracism that Sam did. And any mother worth her salt will stand up and fight for her child, just as Sam's did.