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The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

by Robert Dugoni

Sam Hell’s changing view of faith and belonging

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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    Winner of Suspense Magazine's Crimson Scribe Award

    The book is described as the winner of Suspense Magazine's Crimson Scribe Award.

  • Author recognition

    New York Times bestselling author

    The metadata describes Robert Dugoni as a New York Times bestselling author.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Sam Hell’s changing view of faith and belonging

Sam Hill grows up facing cruel labels because of his ocular albinism, with support from his devout mother, practical father, and two friends who also stand apart. The story moves between his childhood and his life forty years later, when he is a small-town eye doctor reconsidering the relationships and beliefs he left behind after a tragedy. Faith, friendship, difference, and the meanings people assign to life’s events connect the two periods. Sam’s later journey takes him far from home as he revisits what shaped his choices and sense of what matters.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in adult coming-of-age fiction spanning childhood and later life.
  • Readers drawn to stories about friendship, faith, and social difference.
  • Readers seeking a character-centered story involving a small-town eye doctor and a journey abroad.

Themes

Coming of ageOcular albinism and social differenceFriendshipFaith and providenceMemory and reassessment

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni's coming-of-age story is, according to Booklist, "a novel that, if it doesn't cross entirely over into John Irving territory, certainly nestles in close to the border."

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.

Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God's idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.

Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design--especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he'd always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open--bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.

Winner of Suspense Magazine's Crimson Scribe Award.

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