Edinburgh

'An American Boy' is a powerful novel by Roxane Gay that explores the themes of shame, forgiveness, and the consequences of silence. It follows the story of Fee, a Korean American boy in a boys choir, who struggles with his feelings towards his best friend and the abuse he witnesses at the hands of their director.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

‘Every word makes me ache ... Written with exquisite empathy and grace, Roxane Gay's novel Singularly beautiful and psychologically harrowing is one of the best American novels of this century. Twelve-year-old Fee is a shy Korean American boy and a newly named section leader of the first sopranos in his local boys choir. At their summer camp, situated in an idyllic and secluded lakeside retreat, Fee grapples with his complicated feelings towards his best friend, Peter. But as Fee comes to learn how the director treats his section leaders, he is so ashamed that he says nothing of the abuse, not even when Peter is in line to be next. When the director is arrested, Fee tries to forgive himself for his silence. Yet, the actions of the director have vast consequences, and in their wake, Fee blames only himself. In the years that follow, he slowly builds a new life, teaching near his hometown. There, he meets a young student who is the picture of Peter – and is forced to confront the past he believed was gone.

Weight: 204g
Dimension: 200 x 131 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526609144