Book Review: The Charlatan’s Boy
The Charlatan’s Boy is a first person account of an orphan with a heart gold named Grady and his journey through the land of Cornewald. Cornewald is a fictional land that sounds like it exists off the coast of Georgia or South Carolina that is inhabited by a variety of characters, like civilizer townsfolk, cowboy-like cattle drovers, pirates, and traveling hucksters. These salesmen never met a scam they didn’t like and they try to “earn” coin from gullible townsfolk by selling anything from a praying machine to anti-aging potion to protection from feechie folk.
What are feechie folk? They’re a mythical swamp-dwelling race of people that are, to be quite blunt, very ugly. People generally stop believing in feechies mid-childhood. Grady has spent his entire life pretending to be a feechie as part of the traveling feechie lecture scam that he and the only “father” he’s ever known, Floyd, have perfected. But when curiosity about feechiefolk all but dries up, the two begin a bold attempt to renew interest in the dying legend. They begin a journey to drum up a good old fashioned Feechie Scare. And, rather unintentionally, Grady is also on a journey to discover who he really is.
The author bio in the back of the book says that Jonathan Rogers is “a lifelong devotee of the vernacular storytelling traditions of the American South.” And that is quite apparent in the book’s narrative structure. Grady’s voice is similar to Denver’s in Same Kind of Different As Me, although the story is not nearly as powerful. That’s not a criticism, really. Just an observation.
I have to be honest here. I had a hard time finishing this book. It’s pretty good. The story’s memorable. The main character is lovable and I really want to know what happens in Part 2. But I did stop reading this book on two separate occasions so I could finish reading a completely different series. Then I came back and finished The Charlatan’s Boy. It just didn’t hold my interest like I’d hoped.
Maybe it’s because I have never seen a feechie. Or maybe it’s because I had a difficult time understanding the writing style at times, with its deep-Southern vernacular. Or maybe it’s because it didn’t feel as fast-paced as I’d expected. I can’t say the book is a disappointment. Because it isn’t. I can say, however, that I’m glad I didn’t buy the book.* And I think that’s my ultimate recommendation for this book. It’s definitely worth reading, but I’d recommend you check it out from your local library or borrow it from a friend.
Shoot, I have a copy I’d be willing to loan you. After I get Aiden to read it. You don’t have to wait for me to loan you my copy. You can read the first two chapters here!
* It should be noted that I don’t buy many books. The library is my friend. Since we’ve moved to Greenwood, I’ve read a dozen books. I only own one of those books. And it was a Christmas present.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
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