I have this notion that maybe this world is the hell of the angels. That maybe we're creatures with angels exiled in our souls, banished to this godawful existence, howling in despair...and all those beautiful dreams we have are only the ravings of those angels, their screams in our animal minds.

The 1950’s south is a hardtack world for those who suffer from poverty or the racial divide, and this remarkable book deals with both of those conditions in the persons of Earl Whitaker, a poor white boy, orphaned and subsequently raised by a great aunt in a house full of the discarded elderly, and Tio, another orphan, but black and being cared for by a white man. They live in the Ape Yard, and that name alone says a great deal about the environment and the times. The story is presented through the eyes of Earl, whose youth allows him to only comprehend a portion of what he sees, but reveals to the reader all of the ice hidden beneath the waters he is navigating.

But the one thing all of the people in the Ape Yard had in common was that they were trapped, caught in that basin of poverty and servitude to Doc Bobo in the hollow, and held in place by the weight of the white structure beyond. For them, escape seemed futile at the outset.

There is a cast of characters here that is unforgettable from Jayell Crooms, who just wants to be free to use his creativity and live a simple life, but is hounded by higher society to fit their mold; the stuffy teacher, Gwen, who cannot bear the existence of the “lower society” she finds in Jayell’s world; free-spirit Phaedra Boggs; and a gigantic Indian, Em JoJohn, who fits into neither the black nor the white world and is generally only allowed to navigate either because of his physical prowess and the fear it engenders. To round out the horrors, there is Doc Bobo, a black man who wields control of the black community with an iron fist, oppresses in a way worse than the whites can imagine, but finds acceptance by the white community because he presents them with a sense of security.

The coming-of-age genre is one of my favorites when done well. It is, perhaps one of the hardest for an author, because the voice of an adolescent is difficult to capture and sustain. Earl Whitaker can take his place among the best: Scout Finch, Holden Caulfield, Pony Boy Curtis, or Jody Baxter.

What I love the most about this book is how balanced and real it feels. The characters are in some ways extraordinary, particularly Em JoJohn, who might become a caricature in less skilled hands, but who comes to life here as an alienated outcast with a carefully hidden soft heart. Each of these people can be understood, even the ones whom I hated outright, and I picked myself a favorite in Jayell, who kept struggling to get it right despite all the efforts there were from outside to smash him.

Although what is painted on the pages of this book is a desperate and squalid picture of a life few of us would choose intentionally, Fields has not forgotten to include the love and selflessness that exists within its borders, the passion and desire and creativity it spawns, the purpose that it engenders in the good hearts trapped there, and the important lessons it can teach that are so obviously missed by those whose lives are easier and less encumbered. The stew he prepares for us is palatable, because the salt he sprinkles is hope.

Jeff Fields is a great storyteller. It is sad that this is his only novel. It has been compared to To Kill a Mockingbird, and another element of comparison would be that both Fields and Harper Lee apparently felt they had said everything they needed or wished to with their one superb effort. I am surprised that it is not more widely read. Had my good friend, Bob, not suggested it to me, I wonder if it would have forever escaped my radar. I owe him yet another debt of gratitude, as this is not the only great read he has selflessly steered me toward! So, thank you, Bob; and for anyone out there who might be reading this review--Go Read This Book.

( )

This is one of the best books I've read in a fairly active reading life. The book has been recently reprinted by the University of Georgia Press which I'm glad to see as it should be considered a classic among southern novels and/or coming of age novels. The young protagonist lives with a great-aunt and many other engrossing characters in a boarding house she runs for the unwanted elderly. There is plenty of tension in the plot if you're looking to be pulled through that way and the characters are enthralling both for their virtues and their very evident flaws. When I first read the book I did a search for Jeff Fields, eager to read whatever he'd written. Turns out this was his only book (to date, one hopes! Come on, Jeff!). This book should be on the lips of everyone listing one of the top twenty novels of American lit in the 20th century. Read it, everyone. ( )