Wrecker
by
Summer Wood (Goodreads Author)
After foster-parenting four young siblings a decade ago, Summer Wood tried to imagine a place where kids who are left alone or taken from their families would find the love and the family they deserve. For her, fiction was the tool to realize that world, and Wrecker, the central character in her second novel, is the abandoned child for whom life turns around in most unexpe...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
February 15th 2011
by Bloomsbury USA
(first published 2011)
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Wrecker is a fabulous book of the love for a young boy through a caring, supportive unconventional family. The beginning of the story grabs your attention when Wrecker is born in a San Francisco park to a homeless young woman who loses him when he is three years old because she is heading to prison. Wrecker's Uncle Len is called to care for him, but circumstances beyond his control make it impossible for him to keep Wrecker.
As the story unfolds we meet a variety of fascinating characters living...more
As the story unfolds we meet a variety of fascinating characters living...more
Wrecker, a novel by Summer Wood takes place primarily in the Mattole Valley in northern California from 1965 through the 1980's. It is the story of a commune called Bow Farm and of the people who live there, held together by their love of a boy named Wrecker who comes to them unexpectedly and grows to be the glue that keeps them all together.
One day in 1962, Lisa Fay, a homeless and strung out woman who got herself into some very bad stuff, gives birth to a son in a public park in San Francisco....more
One day in 1962, Lisa Fay, a homeless and strung out woman who got herself into some very bad stuff, gives birth to a son in a public park in San Francisco....more
The main character, a little boy, did not even receive his name till around one year of age. He received the name, Wrecker, because he had a penchant for getting into things he shouldn't. After his father takes off and his mother is arrested, Wrecker is placed into the foster care system. He ends up with his uncle, Len, for a short while. Len has a wife he takes care of constantly, he decides he cannot take care of Wrecker. The residents of Bow Farm, up the road from Len, decide to take in Wreck...more
*WRECKER* by Summer Wood
"After foster-parenting four young siblings a decade ago, Summer Wood tried to imagine a place where kids who are left alone or taken from their families would find the love and the family they deserve. For her, fiction was the tool to realize that world, and Wrecker, the central character in her second novel, is the abandoned child for whom life turns around in most unexpected ways. It's June of 1965 when Wrecker enters the world. The war is raging in Vietnam, San Franc...more
"After foster-parenting four young siblings a decade ago, Summer Wood tried to imagine a place where kids who are left alone or taken from their families would find the love and the family they deserve. For her, fiction was the tool to realize that world, and Wrecker, the central character in her second novel, is the abandoned child for whom life turns around in most unexpected ways. It's June of 1965 when Wrecker enters the world. The war is raging in Vietnam, San Franc...more
May 02, 2011
Elizabeth A.
added it
The child came into the world in a San Francisco city park, born to an unmarried hippie mother who didn’t even bother naming him for a year. When the boy shows a talent, even at such a young age, for being disruptive and getting into things he shouldn’t his mother, Lisa Fay, finally decides on a name for him: Wrecker. With a start like that, it’s no wonder life ends up being an uphill battle for the boy.
Unprepared for dealing with a child, especially after Wrecker’s father exists stage left, Lis...more
Unprepared for dealing with a child, especially after Wrecker’s father exists stage left, Lis...more
The subject of the story is the rearing of a motherless boy—three years old at the opening of the novel and eighteen at the end—by what I would call an “intentional” (i.e. communal) community in the far reaches of northern California. It’s a dramatic, heart-rending and—yes, it’s fair to say—ultimately a happy story, although the word happy seems woefully inadequate to describe its fullness of heart.
The back-to-the-land setting is authentic, which I found refreshing. The author clearly loves each...more
The back-to-the-land setting is authentic, which I found refreshing. The author clearly loves each...more
I received an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my review, and to be honest, I didn't expect to like it. I felt like I couldn't relate to a story about foster care and adoption. I don't have a single personal experience dealing with either one of those things.
It didn't matter.
Wrecker is a beautiful book about a young child (named Wrecker...yeah, it takes place in the late 60's) who's mother loses custody of him after getting caught up in drugs (and other things, but I'll try not...more
It didn't matter.
Wrecker is a beautiful book about a young child (named Wrecker...yeah, it takes place in the late 60's) who's mother loses custody of him after getting caught up in drugs (and other things, but I'll try not...more
Families are complicated and at a time when the US is debating about who should be able to adopt, who should be able to marry etc. this is the perfect time to read this book. Wrecker is about love. Love of a little boy who needs a family and the people who fall in line to help him. Sometimes it truly takes a village to raise a child and the Wrecker is one of those children.
His mother in jail, his aunt disabled and his uncle unable to care for a wild 3 year old boy and his aunt, his uncle turns t...more
His mother in jail, his aunt disabled and his uncle unable to care for a wild 3 year old boy and his aunt, his uncle turns t...more
'Wrecker' is the kind of book that sticks with you. It has a permanent place in my life experience now. Three women living my perfect life - free and easy on the 'farm'. Totally self sufficient. Then they are confronted with a three year old named Wrecker (for very good reason).
Each of the characters in this book has a story to tell: a story that requires them to heal. And as Wrecker grows and changes, each of them is forced to become better and stronger than they ever thought they could be. In...more
Each of the characters in this book has a story to tell: a story that requires them to heal. And as Wrecker grows and changes, each of them is forced to become better and stronger than they ever thought they could be. In...more
I won this book through First Reads.
This book was a great look at how it can take a village to raise a child and that love for a child can bring people together.
While we never learn what Wrecker thinks about anything, we end up observing him through every one else's eyes. I wanted to know more than anything just what he thought about being adopted, about being abandoned, and about growing up amongst those eccentric but well-meaning people.
*SPOILER* Wrecker didn't end up being some amazing her...more
This book was a great look at how it can take a village to raise a child and that love for a child can bring people together.
While we never learn what Wrecker thinks about anything, we end up observing him through every one else's eyes. I wanted to know more than anything just what he thought about being adopted, about being abandoned, and about growing up amongst those eccentric but well-meaning people.
*SPOILER* Wrecker didn't end up being some amazing her...more
In 1969 San Francisco, young single mother Lisa Fay finds herself swept into a drug deal and looking at 15 years in jail before parole. Her young son, Wrecker—named for his destructive tendencies—is sent to live with Lisa Fay’s sister, Meg, and her husband Len in Humboldt County, California, although Lisa Fay is not aware of his fate.
Also unbeknownst to Lisa Fay (and system administrators), Meg is brain-damaged following a dental infection and unable to care for Wrecker. Len turns for help to hi...more
Also unbeknownst to Lisa Fay (and system administrators), Meg is brain-damaged following a dental infection and unable to care for Wrecker. Len turns for help to hi...more
This short review should come with a disclaimer: I started reading a few books in a row I didn't connect very well with, which indicates to me that maybe the fault lies not within the pages but within myself. (Please forgive the poor Shakespearean paraphrasing there.)
I found it really difficult to follow the story on a page-by-page basis. Did Wood not set the stage well enough? I was continually confused by who was who, especially among the female characters, up until the last 100 pages or so o...more
I found it really difficult to follow the story on a page-by-page basis. Did Wood not set the stage well enough? I was continually confused by who was who, especially among the female characters, up until the last 100 pages or so o...more
Haven't received yet, just received notice I had won. 5/10/11
Received my copy last night. Hope to start soon. 5/17/11
Started last night. 5/23/11
Wrecker is left alone at the park when his mother gets arrested. He is 3. His mothers sister and her husband live in a remote part of Northern Calfornia. The uncle picks Wrecker up and takes him home. He soon realises he can't take care of the boy and the neighbors have mixed feelings on if he should be turned over to the foster care system or not. Event...more
Received my copy last night. Hope to start soon. 5/17/11
Started last night. 5/23/11
Wrecker is left alone at the park when his mother gets arrested. He is 3. His mothers sister and her husband live in a remote part of Northern Calfornia. The uncle picks Wrecker up and takes him home. He soon realises he can't take care of the boy and the neighbors have mixed feelings on if he should be turned over to the foster care system or not. Event...more
Being called an eccentric myself (more than a few times), having opened my door to several two footed and four-footed souls over the years, and been adopted myself, I so relate to this story. Wrecker is a child at the mercy of world that holds no place for him. When his mother is sent to prison, his future lays in the hands of an uncle that has no room in his life for another needy person. Having a wife with special needs leaves Wrecker’s uncle no choice but to seek other arrangements for Wrecke...more
Wrecker is a boy. It is the mid-1960s. He is born into a world of chaos, and his single mother is also in turmoil. By the time Wrecker is three years old, she is in prison.
What seems to be a tragedy can sometimes be the best possible thing to happen. After being shuttled around Wrecker is finally is sent to live with distant relatives. They are unknown to him, living in a very remote area of California. By this time he is an angry, sullen little boy. His reaction is usually to flee. However, ove...more
What seems to be a tragedy can sometimes be the best possible thing to happen. After being shuttled around Wrecker is finally is sent to live with distant relatives. They are unknown to him, living in a very remote area of California. By this time he is an angry, sullen little boy. His reaction is usually to flee. However, ove...more
Wrecker by Summer Wood is the story of an unexpected family, told over two decades beginning in 1965 with a three year old boy, Wrecker, whose mother has been imprisoned and who is now in the custody of his uncle. Unfortunately his uncle Len, has his hands full caring for his ill wife and so the responsibility of Wrecker is instead taken over by his hippie neighbours including Willow, Ruth, Melody and Johnny Appleseed. Wrecker is the story of how this unusual family raised a boy who had nobody,...more
My daughter won this on Goodreads and I chose to read it before letting her. The book feels to me to have been written very true to the time period it was written in. It is how I imagine the 60's to have been anyways. While it wasn't graphic in any way there was some content that I think would make her uncomfortable (she is 13). There was a lot of language I could have done without as well. I think I might have her wait a little while before letting her choose if she wants to read it. That being...more
The novel starts by introducing Wrecker, a three-year-old child, who has basically been orphaned after his mother is imprisoned. He is introduced to his uncle Len who has not the slightest clue why he has agreed to care for the child, as he never planned on having children himself. However, his wife Meg is suffering brain damage after a dental procedure gone wrong, and Len feels obligated to care for her nephew. Unfortunately, too soon, Len realizes that Wrecker is far too much for him to handle...more
Interesting story with great character development. The story line was unique, as least to me, and I won't forget this book. Wrecker's mother gets involved with drug dealing and ends up in jail, leaving the three year old boy in need of a home. His aunt and uncle are his only relatives, and although he goes to live with them, they have troubles of their own. Their neighbors, a small group of people escaping from society, begin to help with caring for the very lively child.
I haven't given any th...more
I haven't given any th...more
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There are some books that can’t be summarized, only read. Summer Wood’s Wrecker is one of these books. I’ll try to give a little sneak peek but a sliver won’t do it justice; you’ll just have to trust me on this one.
Wrecker‘s story watches the unlikely collision of a three-year old foster charge and the residents of a close-knit community, living of the land and lumber in Northern California. The boy is released to his aunt and uncle when his mother is plop...more
There are some books that can’t be summarized, only read. Summer Wood’s Wrecker is one of these books. I’ll try to give a little sneak peek but a sliver won’t do it justice; you’ll just have to trust me on this one.
Wrecker‘s story watches the unlikely collision of a three-year old foster charge and the residents of a close-knit community, living of the land and lumber in Northern California. The boy is released to his aunt and uncle when his mother is plop...more
When I received this book from a relative, I read the synopsis and said, oh no... a depressing book about children! Being a mother, I find them difficult and stressful to read. I finally picked it up and dove in - and I was glad I did. While sad at times, this book is full of love and hope. It reminds us -- no, proves to us -- that a family doesn't have to be a traditionally defined unit to be a true home of love and support and refuge. The characters were eclectic and the setting was unusual, b...more
Nov 05, 2010
J
added it
I want to thank bookbrowse for this book.
What a great book! Set in northern California in the late 60’s, Wrecker finds himself adopted by a distant Uncle after his mother goes to prison. When his Uncle is not able to take care of Wrecker, he finds himself being raised by his quirky neighbors (the next farm over). Despite his neighbors flaws and secrets, they ultimately band together to form a family, and provide Wrecker with a home filled with compassion and love. Each one helps Wrecker, and the...more
What a great book! Set in northern California in the late 60’s, Wrecker finds himself adopted by a distant Uncle after his mother goes to prison. When his Uncle is not able to take care of Wrecker, he finds himself being raised by his quirky neighbors (the next farm over). Despite his neighbors flaws and secrets, they ultimately band together to form a family, and provide Wrecker with a home filled with compassion and love. Each one helps Wrecker, and the...more
"Wrecker" is beautifully written...almost poetic and quite lyrical in some descriptions. The characters are brought to life slowly throughout the book so I was often not quite sure why a character acted a certain way until further reading revealed more background information. Though Wreaker was "adopted" by his uncle, he was raised on a commune-like farm among some interesting (to say the least) caretakers. No visits by child welfare...I suppose that agency did not come into play in the mid-60s...more
I am starting to think that the books being on a "best of 2011 so far" aren't that great of a recommendation. Do publishers write the lists to get us dummies who don't know any better to buy the books they publish??? I want independent recommendations, thanks!
Wrecker was OK. It wasn't fabulous although the story had potential. I felt the climax was anti-climactic and I would have liked more and better examples of Wrecker actually wrecking more than clean laundry and a motorcycle's front fork. I...more
Wrecker was OK. It wasn't fabulous although the story had potential. I felt the climax was anti-climactic and I would have liked more and better examples of Wrecker actually wrecking more than clean laundry and a motorcycle's front fork. I...more
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It was a time of escape, of trying out new experiences, and a time for love. But for Lisa Fay, life in San Francisco in the mid-sixties became more than she could manage. She fell in with the wrong crowd, got caught up in the frenzy rather than the peace...and one day, life happened to her in ways she hadn't expected.
Giving birth to her son one day in the park was only the beginning of her out-of-control life, and when he was three-years-old, this child who also dashed through life everyday, wre...more
Giving birth to her son one day in the park was only the beginning of her out-of-control life, and when he was three-years-old, this child who also dashed through life everyday, wre...more
wrecker, the main character, at 3 yrs old is sent to live with his uncle after his mother has been sent to jail. the story follows wrecker thru 15 yrs. during that time, his uncle adopts him but the ladies of BowFarm take wrecker in and he develops relationships with each person at the farm, and each person helps wrecker develop in diffrent ways to become a smart, mature, self sufficient young man. takes a village to raise a child, is so true in this story. each character lends something interes...more
Wrecker is the story of a little three-year-old boy who was abandoned by his mother after she was put in jail with a 30 year sentence. He was raised by three very different women: Melody, Ruth and Willow. Melody was his “mother” and the other two were helpful in supporting her but they often clashed on certain issues when it came to Wrecker.
Motherhood is a loosely used term here as it was such a different environment that Wrecker was raised in, a very unique family. The novel will pull at your h...more
Motherhood is a loosely used term here as it was such a different environment that Wrecker was raised in, a very unique family. The novel will pull at your h...more
I won this book on firstreads. Wrecker was a nice quick read about a boy named Wrecker whose mom goes to prison when he is three years old and he is placed in his uncle's custody. His uncle realizes he is in no position to take care of a three year old and he ends up being raised by a mixed group of people who are all very different from each other. At some points in the book Wrecker seems like he could end up being someone who is going to be full of rage as he gets older. It makes you wonder wh...more
"Wrecker" takes the reader on a far out journey back in time to 1969. The book draws you into
the story of a three year old boy named Wrecker. We read how he grows up and see all his exploits.
The description of the boy and how he weasels his way into the affections of his new caregivers
is so well written that I find that I read the chapter over and over again.
Summer Wood has a unique and amazing talent in making the characters of her story believable.
I would recommend this story to anyone who lov...more
the story of a three year old boy named Wrecker. We read how he grows up and see all his exploits.
The description of the boy and how he weasels his way into the affections of his new caregivers
is so well written that I find that I read the chapter over and over again.
Summer Wood has a unique and amazing talent in making the characters of her story believable.
I would recommend this story to anyone who lov...more
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Jun 08, 2011 09:48am