Book Review : The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

MY RATING : 4.5/5

BOOKCENTRIC 2021 READING CHALLENGE 

JANUARY - A BOOK WITH THE WORD 'LIFE' IN ITS TITLE

"Discrimination is difficult, because in its worst form, it is not overt. It is subtle."

Samuel Hill is a child born with a rare condition, ocular albinism. The pupils of his eyes are red in colour so he is referred to as the "Devil's Boy" by his classmates, and thus the title - Sam HELL. This story is about the struggles Sam faces while growing up, just because he is different in appearance than other children. It is a coming-of-age story of all the countless boys and girls who have been bullied all their lives and faced discrimination just because they may not have been like the majority of people around them.

Sam's life takes off, from the very onset, with a bang. While seeking admission to the Christian neighbourhood school, he is denied the basic right because of his condition. His mother takes it into her hands to make sure her son is treated fairly. This is a classic case of victimising those who don't 'fit in'. Even today, in institutions around the world, authorities would rather they singled out the child that was different, than teach the rest of the children tolerance and empathy. This is what Sam's mother says when the school authorities tell her that they can't accept her son because his condition would cause unnecessary issues and turmoil among his peers: "Then perhaps you should consider that Samuel's presence might very well be a perfect opportunity to put into practice some of the principles to which this school, and this parish, give lip service - to love one another and to display compassion to those who are different."

Sam is fortunate enough to find friends that love him unconditionally : Ernie, the typical athletic and only black child in his class and Mickie, the untrammelled, self-sufficient girl from a troubled home. All three of them are bound together by a commonality - they're different from the rest. All three of them have each others' backs, no matter what, all through their lives. These relationships help them to get through life.

The highlight of this story, for me, is the relationship Sam had with his mother. I shed tears and smiled through this story as it tugged at my heart's strings. I found my son in Sam and myself in his mother through his early years, since my son is still only sixteen. Having dealt with school authorities and a child losing his self-confidence because of bullies, I have been in so many places in this book. I have felt those things and seen my child experience them. I have sat with my son for nights, in my balcony or snuggled up on the couch telling him something similar, in Dugoni's words :

"You are every bit as normal as any other boy, in here, where it counts. Our skin, our hair, and our eyes are simply the shell that surrounds our soul, and our soul is who we are. What counts is on the inside."

"Never be afraid to tell the truth, Sam. Not to the people who love you."

And I have also fought back tears when my son said what Sam did in these words and realised how he must have felt while saying them :

"I've accepted it, Mom. I've accepted who I am. Okay? I'm not a kid who's going to get picked to play kickball, or to be the lead in the school play. I'm not going to be invited to parties or be chosen class valedictorian. I'm not. And I'm okay with that." It sounded convincing, though I wasn't okay with it. It hurt like hell, rejection. And the pain lingered like an open wound that, just as it started healing, was ripped open again."

As much as I would like to give all the credit to Sam's mother and friends, his father gave him some golden advice too in the following words :

"There comes a day in every man's life when he stops looking forward and starts looking back. Because of my father's circumstances, I had a sad commentary on life, but I now understood that he was offering me his own gift, one that only time can provide. He was offering me the gift of perspective. My father was telling me that while we tend to remember the dramatic incidents that change history---we live for the quiet, intimate moments that mark not our calendars, but our hearts. We realise it is in those quiet moments that each of us has the ability to make our lives extraordinary."

Robert Dugoni was inspired to write this book after he came across an article about how an Australian boy had been denied entry into a school because of ocular albinism. He took inspiration for Sam's mother from his own mother as she struggled for a more inclusive society for his brother Michael who was born with Down's Syndrome. The author tried to include elements of discrimination against blacks and women through Ernie and Mickie characters. However, what worked most for me is the element of hope that pervades Sam's life through this narrative. Sometimes it came from his parents, especially his mother, and at other times it came from his friends and even from Sister Beatrice. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is a beacon of hope for all those who are oppressed, bullied or discriminated against. It harnesses the belief that you are enough. No matter how things in our external lives turn out. If we believe in ourselves and focus on making the small things count, every will be nothing short of extraordinary. 

Needless to say, I whole-heartedly recommend the book.