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Bones Buried in the Dirt
The stories of this novel in story form act together to present the young life a boy named Peter. Ranging from Peter at ages four to twelve, the stories focus on the moments in childhood that get buried in the mind but are never fully absorbed. Unlike most coming of age tales, Peter is never brought forward into adulthood. Rather, though the stories are reflective, the distance is short. Thus, instead of a how an adult became who they are, the result is a becoming–a sonar picture of the person Peter will be.
"Bones Buried in the Dirt" was named a finalist in the First Novel (Under 80,000 words) category of the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
"Bones Buried in the Dirt" was named a finalist in the First Novel (Under 80,000 words) category of the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
210 people want to read
About the author
David S. Atkinson
12 books150 followersDavid S. Atkinson is the author of books such as "Roses are Red, Violets are Stealing Loose Change from my Pockets While I Sleep" (forthcoming July 1, 2018), "Apocalypse All the Time," and the Nebraska book award winning "Not Quite so Stories." He is a Staff Reader for "Digging Through The Fat" and his writing appears in "Spelk," "Jellyfish Review," "Thrice Fiction," "Literary Orphans," and more. His writing website is http://davidsatkinsonwriting.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 4, 2013
I haven't read much in the horror genre, but what little I have read didn't provide me with feelings of terror as one might expect, but feelings of uncertainty and unease. Most readers wouldn't think of David S. Atkinson's Bones Buried in the Dirt as horror, and it's not, but it certainly left me with these same feelings. Given its subject of childhood, this in itself is unsettling.
I realize this review is about Atkinson's novel, but I'm going to make it about me for the moment. You see, I can't speak for everyone else and what their childhood was like, but I can speak for mine. At least what I remember of it. And here's what I remember: I remember an imagination carrying me through fields and trees, branches that served as swords and dandelion blooms that were medicine; I remember special trips to the store with my mom, family vacations to the theme park, and cheese and crackers waiting for me when I got home; I recall board games and slide shows, parks and family movies. Is this a fair portrayal of my childhood? Absolutely not. It ignores all the stuff I've blocked out. All the insecurities and embarrassments that blanketed much of my adolescence. I don't know if this is everyone's childhood experience, but I have heard the same sentiment from others. Some things are best left buried beneath the fluff of bedtime stories and good morning hugs.
But like the bones in Atkinson's title story, some things cannot remain buried forever. Atkinson hasn't picked out a few bones from childhood memory, he's excavated the whole bloody cemetery. He's laid them out, all those childhood idiosyncrasies that only an astute observer or person ready to face their past could see. Yes, those fluffy memories are there, floating around the atmosphere of Atkinson's world where imagination resides, but beneath them is the world many of Bones...'s readers would call “the truth”—that is, the way an adult would perceive it.
Bones Buried in the Dirt is told entirely in the voice of young Peter. This is a bold move for Atkinson, but it is the only right one for telling this story. That said, it's not an easy choice. Peter's voice is jarring, especially at first. And because we see the world only through Peter's eyes, it's not possible to see the bigger world that rests somewhere outside of the street he lives on. When the world is filtered through the eyes of a child, you can be guaranteed that all your questions will not be answered, but that doesn't matter. What matters is the experience. And Atkinson provides an experience that is eerily familiar, yet unlike anything you've read before.
If you're like me and you've buried much of your childhood, Bones Buried in the Dirt will force you to confront some of your greatest fears. You may shake your head, amazed that you were ever so impressionistic, but you'll probably also shake in fear when Peter gets called to the principal's office. This is David's story. And it's Peter's story. But it's also mine. Bones... brings to mind that oft-quoted biblical passage, “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” What this passage neglects to mention is that while those childish things have been “put away” they are still a part of us. “Put away”—it sounds so easy, doesn't it? Like childhood is just tucked gingerly into a box and buried. No matter how deep we bury those insecurities though, there is always the threat they will resurface and haunt us. Thumbs up David Atkinson for trumping the Bible, forcing me to face my past, and fess up to my mistakes. “Joy,” I'm sorry.
I realize this review is about Atkinson's novel, but I'm going to make it about me for the moment. You see, I can't speak for everyone else and what their childhood was like, but I can speak for mine. At least what I remember of it. And here's what I remember: I remember an imagination carrying me through fields and trees, branches that served as swords and dandelion blooms that were medicine; I remember special trips to the store with my mom, family vacations to the theme park, and cheese and crackers waiting for me when I got home; I recall board games and slide shows, parks and family movies. Is this a fair portrayal of my childhood? Absolutely not. It ignores all the stuff I've blocked out. All the insecurities and embarrassments that blanketed much of my adolescence. I don't know if this is everyone's childhood experience, but I have heard the same sentiment from others. Some things are best left buried beneath the fluff of bedtime stories and good morning hugs.
But like the bones in Atkinson's title story, some things cannot remain buried forever. Atkinson hasn't picked out a few bones from childhood memory, he's excavated the whole bloody cemetery. He's laid them out, all those childhood idiosyncrasies that only an astute observer or person ready to face their past could see. Yes, those fluffy memories are there, floating around the atmosphere of Atkinson's world where imagination resides, but beneath them is the world many of Bones...'s readers would call “the truth”—that is, the way an adult would perceive it.
Bones Buried in the Dirt is told entirely in the voice of young Peter. This is a bold move for Atkinson, but it is the only right one for telling this story. That said, it's not an easy choice. Peter's voice is jarring, especially at first. And because we see the world only through Peter's eyes, it's not possible to see the bigger world that rests somewhere outside of the street he lives on. When the world is filtered through the eyes of a child, you can be guaranteed that all your questions will not be answered, but that doesn't matter. What matters is the experience. And Atkinson provides an experience that is eerily familiar, yet unlike anything you've read before.
If you're like me and you've buried much of your childhood, Bones Buried in the Dirt will force you to confront some of your greatest fears. You may shake your head, amazed that you were ever so impressionistic, but you'll probably also shake in fear when Peter gets called to the principal's office. This is David's story. And it's Peter's story. But it's also mine. Bones... brings to mind that oft-quoted biblical passage, “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” What this passage neglects to mention is that while those childish things have been “put away” they are still a part of us. “Put away”—it sounds so easy, doesn't it? Like childhood is just tucked gingerly into a box and buried. No matter how deep we bury those insecurities though, there is always the threat they will resurface and haunt us. Thumbs up David Atkinson for trumping the Bible, forcing me to face my past, and fess up to my mistakes. “Joy,” I'm sorry.
December 24, 2012
Bones of the Earth is about childhood. And cruelty--the cruelty that exist between children when games go wrong or mean jokes aren’t funny anymore; in the ways parents treat their children, especially the lack of communication; and in the world, when the child discovers the way things really are. Atkinson’s prose is simple, but effective. The stories are innocent, but not idyllic. Each one gave me the sense that it was peeling away another layer of naivety, to the reveal the dark pits in friendship, family, life, truth, that make up adulthood. It’s a very real book with a lot of recognizable elements: wiffle ball, playing in the streets, arguing over the rules of games, misunderstanding things based of stuff other kids say. The form is somewhere between a novel and a collection of short stories, but tends to borrow the strengths of both. The “bones of the earth”, I think Atkinson wants to suggest, are the bones of self—things buried in childhood that aren’t thought about later—but this books brings them and sort of shows what they really are. There’s a disclaimer near the beginning saying that the stories aren’t based on real experiences… but to be honest I’m not sure I believe it, because everything in here feels so real.
February 23, 2013
Following a boy named Peter from age four to twelve, Bones Buried in the Dirt looked at childhood from a unique perspective. It didn't simply depict some extreme view (idyllic, disillusioned, etc) but rather childhood as a whole: the mundane, the exciting, confusing, and scary.
Every aspect was depicted with startling accuracy and insight, so much so that I found myself so completely absorbed in the story that I nearly forgot it was not actually being told by a 5th grade boy. That's just how realistic the characters were. David S. Atkinson managed to capture perfectly what I would consider the epitome of childhood: A bunch of blurry events and drawn out days that shape who we are for better or worse whether we know it or not.
Just as the story and characters were, the writing was great. It was simple enough not to over expatiate but had just the right spattering of details and descriptions to keep me interested and my imagination going.
All in all, Bones Buried in the Dirt was an engrossing, well-written and insightful story about that complex time in everyone's life called childhood.
- Recieved free through Goodreads First Reads
Every aspect was depicted with startling accuracy and insight, so much so that I found myself so completely absorbed in the story that I nearly forgot it was not actually being told by a 5th grade boy. That's just how realistic the characters were. David S. Atkinson managed to capture perfectly what I would consider the epitome of childhood: A bunch of blurry events and drawn out days that shape who we are for better or worse whether we know it or not.
Just as the story and characters were, the writing was great. It was simple enough not to over expatiate but had just the right spattering of details and descriptions to keep me interested and my imagination going.
All in all, Bones Buried in the Dirt was an engrossing, well-written and insightful story about that complex time in everyone's life called childhood.
- Recieved free through Goodreads First Reads
August 1, 2015
David’s book was quite a surprise. It’s not what you’d call a children’s book, but it’s a book of stories written from the point of view of a child named Peter. But I think maybe it’s not even that. They’re stories from our younger self, because these stories capture not just the daily life of what its like being a kid, but those moments in childhood that we as adults might realize as being little turning points in our development, the moments when we make conscious and subconscious choices that will make us who we are as adults, and each story turns on a child’s fear, anger, joy, confusion, frustration, and yearning—usually for something they’re not quite aware of. They’re poignant stories culled from memory and creativity, and I was also surprised to learn (elsewhere, in a Facebook post I think) that he doesn’t have children and that others have been surprised that someone who isn’t a father wrote a book so well connected to the childhood psyche. But then again, we were all there once, right? And don’t we recall what it was like? If not, you should read this one to remember. Read it either way. I was impressed. A fine collection.
July 27, 2013
Bones Buried in the Dirt is a masterful collection of childhood stories weaved together in a novel that captures the essence of life from youth to adolescence and beyond. At times disturbing, at times heartbreaking, somehow always hilarious and engaging, Bones seems to have the unique tone of an adult reminiscing and ruminating about childhood through the child's real voice. These stories, whether the reader has experienced any of them or not--and we all have--are told with such youthful mastery that only the skilled hand of a mature author in tune with the present and past could craft. As the children grow and do stupid thing after stupid thing, the reader's life flashes before his or her eyes, leaving a wistful notion that childhood is gone--but maybe it really can be recaptured if we try hard enough. David S Atkinson gives us the hope that we don't have to be mindless fools slaving away in cubicles. There's still time to get out the big wheels and fly down the stairs. Of course, there's no telling which is worse, childhood or adulthood.
February 13, 2013
Really enjoyed this collection of poignant childhood tales by David S. Atkinson. As a personal note, I usually don't like stories with a character named Peter as it just takes me out of it, but these stories were really wonderfully written so I was happy to make an exception. The stories revolve around Peter and involve a bunch of his adventures as he grows, learns about 'life'. That could come across as cheesy, but it's really well done here with subtlety, and sometimes not so subtle, moments. I really liked the stories, "Playing War," and "Burden of a Little Brother," and I found "Book Bag" to be a very moving story as well (who thought predicting the future could cause so much strife?). There are all sorts of bones buried here, the rich, thought-provoking kind that make you wonder at all the treasures hidden beneath.
January 25, 2013
I will say,first of all that I am biased-I am related to the author. Though I have difficulty in composing even simple email messages that does not prevent me from recognizing good writing. Few adults can write child literature from a true children's perspective with the sometimes raw but always honest emotions you see in childhood. This book reminded me of times & memories in my childhood-both good & bad times. I found myself hurting & laughing for Peter in "Wooden Nickel Payback.". The humor is well used in this book but sometimes while you were laughing you wanted to cry for Peter also." The Virgin Mary Tree" & "But Nothing Was Better" are stories that are connected. I particularly like these two. I found them extremely moving-especially as viewed from a child's point of view.A very complex book.I highly recommend it.
December 9, 2012
review forthcoming!
April 26, 2015
Bones Buried in the Dirt is a novel in short stories that follows a boy named Peter as he grows from a child of four to a pre-teen of twelve. Atkinson shows us many moments, from the most everyday to the most memorable, that shape Peter’s personality and values during the time when he is the most impressionable.
Although Atkinson writes about childhood, a time often looked back on as idyllic, these stories never feel nostalgic. Rather, Peter’s first-person narration makes the stories feel as though they are being told in the moment. For example, the stories told by four-year-old Peter have the simple observations, emotions, and grammar constructions of a very young child. As Peter grows and his understanding of the world deepens, the stories become more complex.
I really loved the way this book captures childhood in a way that feels real. Instead of looking back nostalgically on birthday parties and playing in the sun and not having any responsibilities, Atkinson evokes the gritty realities of being a kid. Nearly every story called forth a memory of my own childhood — some positive, but many uncomfortable. Through Peter’s narration, I was taken back to my own days of finding bones buried in the dirt and having “archeological digs” to find the rest of the skeleton, being jealous of a friend’s toys, the grand lies told to impress classmates, building forts, first sexual explorations, boys chasing girls around the playground, tattling on enemies, “wars” between the neighborhood kids (there were some epic crab apple fights on my block), and learning right from wrong. Through these very personal — though also seemingly universal — childhood experiences, I remembered all the intensity, cruelty, desire for power, and desperation for approval that children have.
Bones Buried in the Dirt is an achingly honest portrayal of childhood in all its brutality, joy, confusion, and excitement, and a fascinating examination of how every half-suppressed memory is part of our becoming.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Read the full review at Books Speak Volumes.
Although Atkinson writes about childhood, a time often looked back on as idyllic, these stories never feel nostalgic. Rather, Peter’s first-person narration makes the stories feel as though they are being told in the moment. For example, the stories told by four-year-old Peter have the simple observations, emotions, and grammar constructions of a very young child. As Peter grows and his understanding of the world deepens, the stories become more complex.
I really loved the way this book captures childhood in a way that feels real. Instead of looking back nostalgically on birthday parties and playing in the sun and not having any responsibilities, Atkinson evokes the gritty realities of being a kid. Nearly every story called forth a memory of my own childhood — some positive, but many uncomfortable. Through Peter’s narration, I was taken back to my own days of finding bones buried in the dirt and having “archeological digs” to find the rest of the skeleton, being jealous of a friend’s toys, the grand lies told to impress classmates, building forts, first sexual explorations, boys chasing girls around the playground, tattling on enemies, “wars” between the neighborhood kids (there were some epic crab apple fights on my block), and learning right from wrong. Through these very personal — though also seemingly universal — childhood experiences, I remembered all the intensity, cruelty, desire for power, and desperation for approval that children have.
Bones Buried in the Dirt is an achingly honest portrayal of childhood in all its brutality, joy, confusion, and excitement, and a fascinating examination of how every half-suppressed memory is part of our becoming.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Read the full review at Books Speak Volumes.
October 6, 2015
David Atkinson is one of the best dudes out there in terms of Friend of Writers with capital letters. This book is eerie in how it nails the unassuming (or, often, the incorrectly-assuming) narratives of childhood. The voice is too spot on, nomadic, almost, in terms of the young mind that won't stop moving because it's the only thing it knows how to do.
As the narrator made his mistakes, began to understand how social construct works, I cringed along with him, thinking of my own missteps. If there's one thing we all were, it was wrong at some point. If only we didn't need it.
Also, Atkinson bought me ice cream once. Nicest dude.
As the narrator made his mistakes, began to understand how social construct works, I cringed along with him, thinking of my own missteps. If there's one thing we all were, it was wrong at some point. If only we didn't need it.
Also, Atkinson bought me ice cream once. Nicest dude.
February 14, 2013
David S. Atkinson has carefully carved out a vivid line through childhood with a voice that is pitch perfect, the authentic inner child calling out, crying and cheering about times past.
Simpler times they weren't.
[full review forthcoming]
Simpler times they weren't.
[full review forthcoming]
March 4, 2014
Bones Buried in the Dirt opens up with a quote from Bill Watterson, the creator of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip: "I never understood people who remember childhood as an idyllic time."
The short stories in this collection could not exemplify this belief any stronger. Boys are forbidden to leave the block by over-bearing parents, and thus thrown into a strange never ending cycle of block war fare, weird play dates, betrayals, sexual exploration, strife, boredom and misunderstanding.
These are not happy green lawns with cheerful white washed fences. The cracks are everywhere, and the collection's narrator Peter, is a pre-adolescent boy left mapless as he tries to figure out what to make of it all.
He is Calvin, without Hobbes.
The dedication to the book itself, presents a clue to just what we're getting from those that surround our narrator, Atkinson alludes to them 'For my family and friends, you were always better than the flawed character herein ..." Yes, flawed they certainly are, gloriously so.
Adkinson's stories weave those troubled characters through a common suburbia, where the conflict is ever-present and more often than not, exhilarating in a way that forsakes run of the mill nostalgia, déjà vu, and rose tinted misremembering of the parents, teachers, and authority figures of statuses high and low that let us down as we made our way up the food chain; elementary school, middle school and beyond. This is the time of life when BMX was king and the thought of a having a car was about as realistic as owning a spaceship.
To Adkinson's credit, his characters, specifically the downtrodden adults whose typical first response to the children is screaming and corporal punishment may all be flawed but they are truthful, real world characters whose power cannot be denied, especially when they are put at odds with the unpredictable challenge of raising children in a world that constantly in flux.
"In Training (parts 1 and 2)" the main group of adolescent boys start to wonder if they are going to be good at hooking up with girls, so the boys start to practice on each other, first with kissing, then fondeling, then full on sex. It's during one of their training sessions that a door bursts open and a mother walks in too quick. Her reaction to the event (which I won't reveal) is a prime example of a grown up who can't seem to make any logic out of a world much bigger than the dead end street where they live.
In "The Book Bag" a father's wrath is released on a boy, by means of physical attack following the aftermath of a sidewalk scuffle involving a backpack swung in the direction of a girl.
That's the other landmine: girls. Are they approachable? Are they friends? Why is it that the ones Peter likes never like him, and even go to great lengths to set him up with their less appealing friends. Suffering.
Besides Peter, our narrator, these linked stories often pass between re-occurring children, that pop up from story to story, retaining their definable traits, lending the stories a welcome novelistic thread. Mostly, the thread that carries throughout "Bones Buried In The Dirt" is the Lord of the Flies-esque philosophy, that society is chaos and some people will just be bad 'according to the rules of society' when left to their own devices. The ones great good when no one else is looking, are few and far between.
In one story, "Wooden Nickel Payback", Peter seeks revenge involving a hammer because he is being excluded from the tribe of children, and not permitted to play with them "for no reason." Both sides are wrong, and that's a very rewarding to thing to read, ambiguous morals ... sounds like real life to me.
"The War" is a full on 'your street verses my street' rager, that breaks out when one neighborhood boy finds a misplaced football and refuses to give it back. Glass bottles are gathered, ninja sticks are swung. I had a similar thing happen when I was growing up, except it was over a frisbee. A kid on my block got hit across his shoulder blades with a 2x4 like we'd seen on WWF.
"Wood Nickel Payback", "Burden of a Little Brother" and "Keep Away" all have a similar theme of not wanting a certain kid to hang out, or excluding someone from a clique. Exclusion is the name of the suburban game. Parents behaving badly doesn't help anyone's cause, and sometimes those parents even help exclude weaker children, such as the story "Keep Away." Where a dad actively interferes with a weaker child trying to hang out with his son, shoeing the weaker boy off.
In perhaps the stand out story, for which the collection gets it's name, "Bones Buried In The Dirt," the narrator finds a stack of bones shallowly buried in a hill, suspecting they are human, or a rare/ancient animal, the narrator takes the bones home to show his 'too busy to care' mother who insists he get rid of the bones. What follows in that story is tinged with a dream-like lucidity that is not present for much of Atkinson's book, and is a welcome and rewarding high point in an already strong body of work.
We're presented mostly with punchy hyper-realistic writing here. Sometimes it will make you laugh, other times, it will cause the adverse, a great sadness reverberating after the final line clings out like a church bell; the sense this reader got though, is that Atkinson is an unflinching writer, who has his pulse in step with the kind of suburbia that does not make it on the candy coated network sitcoms, rather, the kind that would make a television explode.
The short stories in this collection could not exemplify this belief any stronger. Boys are forbidden to leave the block by over-bearing parents, and thus thrown into a strange never ending cycle of block war fare, weird play dates, betrayals, sexual exploration, strife, boredom and misunderstanding.
These are not happy green lawns with cheerful white washed fences. The cracks are everywhere, and the collection's narrator Peter, is a pre-adolescent boy left mapless as he tries to figure out what to make of it all.
He is Calvin, without Hobbes.
The dedication to the book itself, presents a clue to just what we're getting from those that surround our narrator, Atkinson alludes to them 'For my family and friends, you were always better than the flawed character herein ..." Yes, flawed they certainly are, gloriously so.
Adkinson's stories weave those troubled characters through a common suburbia, where the conflict is ever-present and more often than not, exhilarating in a way that forsakes run of the mill nostalgia, déjà vu, and rose tinted misremembering of the parents, teachers, and authority figures of statuses high and low that let us down as we made our way up the food chain; elementary school, middle school and beyond. This is the time of life when BMX was king and the thought of a having a car was about as realistic as owning a spaceship.
To Adkinson's credit, his characters, specifically the downtrodden adults whose typical first response to the children is screaming and corporal punishment may all be flawed but they are truthful, real world characters whose power cannot be denied, especially when they are put at odds with the unpredictable challenge of raising children in a world that constantly in flux.
"In Training (parts 1 and 2)" the main group of adolescent boys start to wonder if they are going to be good at hooking up with girls, so the boys start to practice on each other, first with kissing, then fondeling, then full on sex. It's during one of their training sessions that a door bursts open and a mother walks in too quick. Her reaction to the event (which I won't reveal) is a prime example of a grown up who can't seem to make any logic out of a world much bigger than the dead end street where they live.
In "The Book Bag" a father's wrath is released on a boy, by means of physical attack following the aftermath of a sidewalk scuffle involving a backpack swung in the direction of a girl.
That's the other landmine: girls. Are they approachable? Are they friends? Why is it that the ones Peter likes never like him, and even go to great lengths to set him up with their less appealing friends. Suffering.
Besides Peter, our narrator, these linked stories often pass between re-occurring children, that pop up from story to story, retaining their definable traits, lending the stories a welcome novelistic thread. Mostly, the thread that carries throughout "Bones Buried In The Dirt" is the Lord of the Flies-esque philosophy, that society is chaos and some people will just be bad 'according to the rules of society' when left to their own devices. The ones great good when no one else is looking, are few and far between.
In one story, "Wooden Nickel Payback", Peter seeks revenge involving a hammer because he is being excluded from the tribe of children, and not permitted to play with them "for no reason." Both sides are wrong, and that's a very rewarding to thing to read, ambiguous morals ... sounds like real life to me.
"The War" is a full on 'your street verses my street' rager, that breaks out when one neighborhood boy finds a misplaced football and refuses to give it back. Glass bottles are gathered, ninja sticks are swung. I had a similar thing happen when I was growing up, except it was over a frisbee. A kid on my block got hit across his shoulder blades with a 2x4 like we'd seen on WWF.
"Wood Nickel Payback", "Burden of a Little Brother" and "Keep Away" all have a similar theme of not wanting a certain kid to hang out, or excluding someone from a clique. Exclusion is the name of the suburban game. Parents behaving badly doesn't help anyone's cause, and sometimes those parents even help exclude weaker children, such as the story "Keep Away." Where a dad actively interferes with a weaker child trying to hang out with his son, shoeing the weaker boy off.
In perhaps the stand out story, for which the collection gets it's name, "Bones Buried In The Dirt," the narrator finds a stack of bones shallowly buried in a hill, suspecting they are human, or a rare/ancient animal, the narrator takes the bones home to show his 'too busy to care' mother who insists he get rid of the bones. What follows in that story is tinged with a dream-like lucidity that is not present for much of Atkinson's book, and is a welcome and rewarding high point in an already strong body of work.
We're presented mostly with punchy hyper-realistic writing here. Sometimes it will make you laugh, other times, it will cause the adverse, a great sadness reverberating after the final line clings out like a church bell; the sense this reader got though, is that Atkinson is an unflinching writer, who has his pulse in step with the kind of suburbia that does not make it on the candy coated network sitcoms, rather, the kind that would make a television explode.
January 27, 2013
Atkinson’s novel in short story form is unnervingly raw, and subtly touching. It was an uncomfortable read from beginning to end. It rips away the fuzzy, pink insulation that is normally wrapped around memories of childhood, leaving behind jagged edges that cut and wound. Atkinson captures quite clearly the contradictions of childhood, this time period that many adults tend to romanticize. The sweet memories of playing with childhood friends and first crushes are there, but they have been darkened and made more sinister by a prevalence of reality. Who cannot remember a time when one of our playmates betrayed us, hurt our feelings or hurt us physically, and then wanted to play again like nothing had happened? Who cannot remember doing the same to a friend? And we played, with the short-term memory loss that is so rampant in young children and drug addicts. This book is extremely well written, with a narrative that makes you want to keep reading, even as each story raises your hackles just a little bit more. Peter’s childhood is so easy to empathize with because each story brings to mind uncomfortable memories that you had previously, and would rather have left, hidden. It confirms that sneaking and insidious sense that children are all little monsters, selfish and ignorant. The advent of adulthood and the opiate haze of nostalgia is a relief.
September 4, 2015
This book is a great example of why I love independent presses and publishing. Here, Atkinson gives us a pitch-perfect account of a young boy's childhood, in a simpler time (that is, just prior to the information age). The tales here are brutally honest; they will make you wince; they will make you smile. But all in all, you'll walk away with Atkinson's unique voice inside your head, which is fantastic, and another great example of why independent publishing deserves our attention.
December 23, 2012
I had the amazing opportunity to read this book prior...and loved it. Dave does an amazing job capturing a child's voice in this. It brought so many memories of what being a kid felt like. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for something new and different to read :)
February 20, 2014
David truly knows the mindset, voice and experience of growing up in the 70's/ 80's. Good read!
June 20, 2019
I’ve been following the writings and worlds and words of Mr. Atkinson for quite awhile now, and he never disappoints. This book, though, was literally right up my alley, and I devoured it eagerly.
Ever since I discovered the Bildungsroman, the coming of age tale, I’ve been a sucker for stories that reveal the inner psyche of struggling youths and the complicated childhoods that such people have. So reading this book was a delight, because I got to engage with elements that really resonate with me, as someone trying to understand my own childhood.
So where do I begin? First off, the main character reminds me a bit of myself when I was a youngster. Trying to just make it in an adult world that was often so cruel and hypocritical. And while the perspective is through a character you don’t always like, there are reasons, good reasons, to empathize with him.
I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned, is that the romanticism we have of childhood, especially boyhood, as a rough and tumble good time was something I’ve really had to challenge. As well as the injunction that “kids are innocent.” Actually kids and childhood are complicated, and for that reason I found myself refreshed with an alternate viewpoint. Kids are, rather, nuanced and occupying gray areas, like anything else in life. The theme that childhood is actually really hard and bitter is something that resonates with me, when thinking about how I expected my growing years to be free from angst, but how they were most definitely not. Bitter pills to swallow, but Mr. Atkinson nails the difficulty of growing up in a harsh world that I identify with. It’s actually a tough theme to paint for the audience, but Mr. Atkinson writes the book with grace and honesty, and I like how that feels.
Of course the book isn’t always dark, and it’s implied that this text isn’t necessarily autobiographical? But it is very gritty. I wouldn’t say that it’s always easy to read thematically, but that is my reason for engaging with the text. I don’t run from complexity and difficult subject matter. This style has influenced me in much of my own writing.
This book is worth your time. The message seems to be one of resilience amidst adversity and pain. I appreciate writers that use nuance and complexity to paint a picture we haven’t seen before. This book is evocative precisely because of its simplicity. Simplicity of narration, voice, and tone, but complexity in characterization and the associations made throughout. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants a sensitively portrayed character, and a wake up call about the complexities of childhood and society.
Five stars.
Ever since I discovered the Bildungsroman, the coming of age tale, I’ve been a sucker for stories that reveal the inner psyche of struggling youths and the complicated childhoods that such people have. So reading this book was a delight, because I got to engage with elements that really resonate with me, as someone trying to understand my own childhood.
So where do I begin? First off, the main character reminds me a bit of myself when I was a youngster. Trying to just make it in an adult world that was often so cruel and hypocritical. And while the perspective is through a character you don’t always like, there are reasons, good reasons, to empathize with him.
I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned, is that the romanticism we have of childhood, especially boyhood, as a rough and tumble good time was something I’ve really had to challenge. As well as the injunction that “kids are innocent.” Actually kids and childhood are complicated, and for that reason I found myself refreshed with an alternate viewpoint. Kids are, rather, nuanced and occupying gray areas, like anything else in life. The theme that childhood is actually really hard and bitter is something that resonates with me, when thinking about how I expected my growing years to be free from angst, but how they were most definitely not. Bitter pills to swallow, but Mr. Atkinson nails the difficulty of growing up in a harsh world that I identify with. It’s actually a tough theme to paint for the audience, but Mr. Atkinson writes the book with grace and honesty, and I like how that feels.
Of course the book isn’t always dark, and it’s implied that this text isn’t necessarily autobiographical? But it is very gritty. I wouldn’t say that it’s always easy to read thematically, but that is my reason for engaging with the text. I don’t run from complexity and difficult subject matter. This style has influenced me in much of my own writing.
This book is worth your time. The message seems to be one of resilience amidst adversity and pain. I appreciate writers that use nuance and complexity to paint a picture we haven’t seen before. This book is evocative precisely because of its simplicity. Simplicity of narration, voice, and tone, but complexity in characterization and the associations made throughout. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants a sensitively portrayed character, and a wake up call about the complexities of childhood and society.
Five stars.
February 22, 2013
When this novel was offered to me for review I was immediately intrigued by the summary. 'Bones Buried in the Dirt' by David Atkinson sounded different to most childhood-related novels I have read before and I can say now, after having finished it, that it is a good thing!
This novel has an honest cruelty to it that I found very remarkable. Narratives about childhood often either idealize it or tear it to the ground, both to the effect that the reader ends up with an unrealistic image of childhood. 'Bones Buried in the Dirt' manages to walk the thin line between realism and fiction, where normal events are described in such a way they seem universally applicable to every child and yet intensely personal. The people and events in 'Bones Buried in the Dirt' are taken from real life and every person will recognize instances in the novel that make them think back to their own childhood. There is no misplaced sensibility, no covering up of how cruel children can be, and this allows Atkinson's novel to be an honest portrayal of a child growing up. Although I am a woman, I recognized many of Peter's experiences as my own and the question of what kind of a person Peter will be became a rather personal question.
The reader first meets Peter around the age of four and leaves him eight years later. Throughout that time, not only does Peter change, the novel changes as well. As Peter's friendships and relationships develop, the narrative turns from its specific focus on Peter's thoughts to more description and conversations. As he grows up, things become less clear. Just like Peter, we aren't sure about his true feelings and thoughts, about how what has happened earlier has influenced him. Through Peter's eyes we also meet different characters such as Steven and Joy, who readers will instantly be able to identify as their own childhood friends. Their interaction seems so logical and normal, it is almost absurd how fascinating it still is. In a society where most of us are used to watching people's life unfold in reality shows on TV, it is amazing to see the same thing develop in a novel.
Whereas some may find the novel's take on childhood raw or challenging, I thoroughly enjoyed it. For the first time, I felt an author had dared to simply describe childhood as it is. Our memories are always in retrospect and always clouded by what we know and have become now. By withholding the grown-up Peter from us, Atkinson pulls this comfort away and we are forced to accept that childhood isn't the magical time we might remember, but that it also wasn't as dreadful as we might sometimes think. There were afternoons of boredom and moments of intensity that we were unable to explain at the moment. By not giving us an explanation for some of the occurrences in the novel, Atkinson brings us back to the time when a lot of things didn't make sense and yet others were so perfectly clear and obvious. You will encounter every emotion in this book, happiness, sadness, joy, as you rediscover your own childhood through Peter's story.
It is perhaps surprising that a novel that described something so average as a normal childhood can be both fascinating and funny, but 'Bones Buried in the Dirt' is a very true and thrilling read. I recommend this book with my whole heart to anyone who wants a stimulating, yet enjoyable read.
This novel has an honest cruelty to it that I found very remarkable. Narratives about childhood often either idealize it or tear it to the ground, both to the effect that the reader ends up with an unrealistic image of childhood. 'Bones Buried in the Dirt' manages to walk the thin line between realism and fiction, where normal events are described in such a way they seem universally applicable to every child and yet intensely personal. The people and events in 'Bones Buried in the Dirt' are taken from real life and every person will recognize instances in the novel that make them think back to their own childhood. There is no misplaced sensibility, no covering up of how cruel children can be, and this allows Atkinson's novel to be an honest portrayal of a child growing up. Although I am a woman, I recognized many of Peter's experiences as my own and the question of what kind of a person Peter will be became a rather personal question.
The reader first meets Peter around the age of four and leaves him eight years later. Throughout that time, not only does Peter change, the novel changes as well. As Peter's friendships and relationships develop, the narrative turns from its specific focus on Peter's thoughts to more description and conversations. As he grows up, things become less clear. Just like Peter, we aren't sure about his true feelings and thoughts, about how what has happened earlier has influenced him. Through Peter's eyes we also meet different characters such as Steven and Joy, who readers will instantly be able to identify as their own childhood friends. Their interaction seems so logical and normal, it is almost absurd how fascinating it still is. In a society where most of us are used to watching people's life unfold in reality shows on TV, it is amazing to see the same thing develop in a novel.
Whereas some may find the novel's take on childhood raw or challenging, I thoroughly enjoyed it. For the first time, I felt an author had dared to simply describe childhood as it is. Our memories are always in retrospect and always clouded by what we know and have become now. By withholding the grown-up Peter from us, Atkinson pulls this comfort away and we are forced to accept that childhood isn't the magical time we might remember, but that it also wasn't as dreadful as we might sometimes think. There were afternoons of boredom and moments of intensity that we were unable to explain at the moment. By not giving us an explanation for some of the occurrences in the novel, Atkinson brings us back to the time when a lot of things didn't make sense and yet others were so perfectly clear and obvious. You will encounter every emotion in this book, happiness, sadness, joy, as you rediscover your own childhood through Peter's story.
It is perhaps surprising that a novel that described something so average as a normal childhood can be both fascinating and funny, but 'Bones Buried in the Dirt' is a very true and thrilling read. I recommend this book with my whole heart to anyone who wants a stimulating, yet enjoyable read.
April 24, 2013
Bones Buried in the Dirt is a group of stories about Peter, a young boy growing up and experiencing childhood. Each chapter is a new day in his life, and each day is a new experience. While some stories may seem far more significant than others, each one will have an impact on Peter and will shape who he becomes.
I have to say that Bones Buried in the Dirt is one of the most intense books I have read in a long time. I knew going into this book that Peter was a younger child, but somewhere along the beginning I forgot just how young he really is. I was then shocked back into reality during the most uncomfortable story, Training, in which Peter and his friends "practice" kissing each other, which leads to other things. Even though this did make me extremely uncomfortable, I understood it's necessity. These stories took place back in the 1980's well before internet and the constant ability to Google whatever you want to know. I think these scenarios were far more frequent than anyone realizes.
For the most part, I liked Peter. I also grew up in the '80s and could understand his lifestyle. He had a cruel father and some of his friends were bullies, and for this I felt sorry for him. I can't imagine what it is like for a young boy growing up, especially with friends that are mean for no other reason than to just be mean, and with friends that are constantly trying to out do each other. I definitely walked away from this book with a far better understanding, which I truly appreciate since I have a son Peter's age.
What I truly loved most about this book is that even though some of the stories seemed rather insignificant, they actually weren't. I don't know about you, but I know that I have held onto some of the strangest memories growing up. Memories of just random days that seemed to mean absolutely nothing. These are the days that shape you as a person the most, they are far more frequent than any other. It is how you handle yourself in those every day situations that have much more of an impact on how you react to life's curve balls.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. It took me back to my own childhood and reminded me what it was like to be young in a time when there was no internet or video games at the ready. I was also very happy with the way Peter's story ended and it gave me hope for his future. I love walking away from a book with a good feeling, especially when the previous pages had your heart thumping in panic and doubt.
If you enjoy a good coming of age story, is an '80s child like me, or is just looking for a deeper read, I highly recommend Bones Buried in the Dirt. You won't be disappointed.
I have to say that Bones Buried in the Dirt is one of the most intense books I have read in a long time. I knew going into this book that Peter was a younger child, but somewhere along the beginning I forgot just how young he really is. I was then shocked back into reality during the most uncomfortable story, Training, in which Peter and his friends "practice" kissing each other, which leads to other things. Even though this did make me extremely uncomfortable, I understood it's necessity. These stories took place back in the 1980's well before internet and the constant ability to Google whatever you want to know. I think these scenarios were far more frequent than anyone realizes.
For the most part, I liked Peter. I also grew up in the '80s and could understand his lifestyle. He had a cruel father and some of his friends were bullies, and for this I felt sorry for him. I can't imagine what it is like for a young boy growing up, especially with friends that are mean for no other reason than to just be mean, and with friends that are constantly trying to out do each other. I definitely walked away from this book with a far better understanding, which I truly appreciate since I have a son Peter's age.
What I truly loved most about this book is that even though some of the stories seemed rather insignificant, they actually weren't. I don't know about you, but I know that I have held onto some of the strangest memories growing up. Memories of just random days that seemed to mean absolutely nothing. These are the days that shape you as a person the most, they are far more frequent than any other. It is how you handle yourself in those every day situations that have much more of an impact on how you react to life's curve balls.
Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. It took me back to my own childhood and reminded me what it was like to be young in a time when there was no internet or video games at the ready. I was also very happy with the way Peter's story ended and it gave me hope for his future. I love walking away from a book with a good feeling, especially when the previous pages had your heart thumping in panic and doubt.
If you enjoy a good coming of age story, is an '80s child like me, or is just looking for a deeper read, I highly recommend Bones Buried in the Dirt. You won't be disappointed.
June 14, 2013
This review was first posted on Music, Books and Tea
Last year, I branched out my reading habits a little, and read two fabulous short-story collections with We Bury the Landscape and Watering Heaven. I enjoyed both a great deal, and that was what made me excited to read Bones Buried in the Dirt.
I don’t think a book has ever left me feeling so empty after I’ve read it. And I do not mean that in a bad way whatsoever. But all of the short stories in this collection are incredibly raw to read, and they all left an incredible effect on me. I tweeted about how this book made me incredibly sad, and it did, but I think that was what I loved about it. Normally books written about childhood are full of happiness and delight, and that wasn’t the case with Bones Buried in the Dirt, which sets it apart from other similar books. Atkinson is such a talented writer, he captured the voice of Peter so well that it was hard to remember I wasn’t reading a book written by a twelve-year-old.
My favourite stories were Druthers Part 1, the titular Bones Buried in the Dirt and Cards. The story that stuck with me the most, however, was The Pipe. That wasn’t the story I expected to read, I wasn’t expecting it to pan out the way that it did and the ending shocked me. I had to pause after finishing The Pipe and take in what I had just read. I am so pleased that the book didn’t end with that story either, but followed The Pipe with Cards, a story that I thought wrapped up this collection really well.
I’ve mentioned in the past about how much I dislike the shortness of short stories, but with Bones Buried in the Dirt, I feel the shortness of these stories was what made them work so well. If they had been longer, I wouldn’t have had that raw, empty feeling whilst reading them. In fact, I would have probably gotten very bored with them, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed the book as much as I did. These short and sharp flashbacks into Peter’s childhood really made me stop and think a lot, which is something that I always appreciate books doing.
Bones Buried in the Dirt isn’t a the book to read if you’re looking for something light-hearted to read without really thinking. This is a book that you’ll want to consume quickly, and then spend a lot of time thinking about. It’s an easy read in the sense that the short stories are quick and punchy, but it’s definitely a book that will resonate with you.
Last year, I branched out my reading habits a little, and read two fabulous short-story collections with We Bury the Landscape and Watering Heaven. I enjoyed both a great deal, and that was what made me excited to read Bones Buried in the Dirt.
I don’t think a book has ever left me feeling so empty after I’ve read it. And I do not mean that in a bad way whatsoever. But all of the short stories in this collection are incredibly raw to read, and they all left an incredible effect on me. I tweeted about how this book made me incredibly sad, and it did, but I think that was what I loved about it. Normally books written about childhood are full of happiness and delight, and that wasn’t the case with Bones Buried in the Dirt, which sets it apart from other similar books. Atkinson is such a talented writer, he captured the voice of Peter so well that it was hard to remember I wasn’t reading a book written by a twelve-year-old.
My favourite stories were Druthers Part 1, the titular Bones Buried in the Dirt and Cards. The story that stuck with me the most, however, was The Pipe. That wasn’t the story I expected to read, I wasn’t expecting it to pan out the way that it did and the ending shocked me. I had to pause after finishing The Pipe and take in what I had just read. I am so pleased that the book didn’t end with that story either, but followed The Pipe with Cards, a story that I thought wrapped up this collection really well.
I’ve mentioned in the past about how much I dislike the shortness of short stories, but with Bones Buried in the Dirt, I feel the shortness of these stories was what made them work so well. If they had been longer, I wouldn’t have had that raw, empty feeling whilst reading them. In fact, I would have probably gotten very bored with them, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed the book as much as I did. These short and sharp flashbacks into Peter’s childhood really made me stop and think a lot, which is something that I always appreciate books doing.
Bones Buried in the Dirt isn’t a the book to read if you’re looking for something light-hearted to read without really thinking. This is a book that you’ll want to consume quickly, and then spend a lot of time thinking about. It’s an easy read in the sense that the short stories are quick and punchy, but it’s definitely a book that will resonate with you.
April 15, 2013
Reading the short stories from Peter's childhood kind of make you think of your own childhood. What we did as kids trying to pretend we were 'grown up' and not really understanding it. Watching an innocent kid acting out very adult things.
In this story, we get to see little snippets from Peter's life and watch how he reacts to things and tries to comprehend what's going on. We get to see the mistakes his parents make while trying to teach him life lessons. We watch the kids tease others and try to avoid playing with them; I remember those moments in my childhood. Kind of makes you think kids are a little cruel, right? We get to watch young-kid love happen even though there's very little comprehension as to what love really means. And then we watch some catastrophic events occur and realize that kids just don't understand the consequences of their choices.
I thought these stories were a 'back-in-time' read. They made me think of my own childhood and all of the horrible things I did as a kid. All the things I tried to understand but didn't. However, I kind of wish we could have seen Peter as an adult. How did these events in his life shape him as an adult? Guess we'll just have to make some assumptions as to how he turned out.
A good short read that I think others will enjoy. It makes you step back and think about all the stuff you appreciate in life. I'd recommend it to those looking to step out of a comfort zone and read something refreshing.
In this story, we get to see little snippets from Peter's life and watch how he reacts to things and tries to comprehend what's going on. We get to see the mistakes his parents make while trying to teach him life lessons. We watch the kids tease others and try to avoid playing with them; I remember those moments in my childhood. Kind of makes you think kids are a little cruel, right? We get to watch young-kid love happen even though there's very little comprehension as to what love really means. And then we watch some catastrophic events occur and realize that kids just don't understand the consequences of their choices.
I thought these stories were a 'back-in-time' read. They made me think of my own childhood and all of the horrible things I did as a kid. All the things I tried to understand but didn't. However, I kind of wish we could have seen Peter as an adult. How did these events in his life shape him as an adult? Guess we'll just have to make some assumptions as to how he turned out.
A good short read that I think others will enjoy. It makes you step back and think about all the stuff you appreciate in life. I'd recommend it to those looking to step out of a comfort zone and read something refreshing.
February 14, 2013
Bones Buried in the Dirt is a collection of short stories which work very well individually but when brought together create a work of even greater strength. Peter, through whom the stories are told, is at that point in life where childhood innocence is making way for juvenile curiosity.
Peter's desire to play war games and run free through his neighbourhood still exists but it is rapidly merging with a developing interest in girls and the need to prove his worth to the friends around him, often in a physical manner.
I really enjoyed Atkinson's writing style, he paints very vibrant scenes with very few words, entrusting you to take the hint and create the scene in your own mind. Every sentence counts and works towards bringing you into the story. It's not often that I feel part of what is happening, rather than being an observer, but the author certainly had me feeling as if I was tagging along with Peter as he passed his days playing on the streets and in the hills that surrounded his home.
I recommend reading Bones Buried in the Dirt, it captures that awkward turning point from innocent child to curious young teenager brilliantly, examining the good, the bad and the ugly of human nature along the way.
Peter's desire to play war games and run free through his neighbourhood still exists but it is rapidly merging with a developing interest in girls and the need to prove his worth to the friends around him, often in a physical manner.
I really enjoyed Atkinson's writing style, he paints very vibrant scenes with very few words, entrusting you to take the hint and create the scene in your own mind. Every sentence counts and works towards bringing you into the story. It's not often that I feel part of what is happening, rather than being an observer, but the author certainly had me feeling as if I was tagging along with Peter as he passed his days playing on the streets and in the hills that surrounded his home.
I recommend reading Bones Buried in the Dirt, it captures that awkward turning point from innocent child to curious young teenager brilliantly, examining the good, the bad and the ugly of human nature along the way.
April 2, 2013
This is a collection of intriguing stories which is a great example of what story collections can really be if done properly.
Throughout the stories, we follow Peter as he maneuvers his way through childhood. It was risky of the author to write from this viewpoint, since it is easy for the writing to feel “fake” when the main character is a child. In this case, the narrative is so straight-forward, told in such an innocent way, that the voice becomes poignant, highlighting the cruelties that surround Peter’s childhood.
This is a collection with which we can easily identify. We are immediately drawn in by the narrative voice. One of the gems in the collection is “The Pipe”. It is a wholly surprising story that is written with just the right amount of tension to give the whole scenario an ominous quality. That story really took me by surprise.
I highly recommend this collection. Each one of these stories will leave you thinking, which is the best thing we can expect from writing.
Throughout the stories, we follow Peter as he maneuvers his way through childhood. It was risky of the author to write from this viewpoint, since it is easy for the writing to feel “fake” when the main character is a child. In this case, the narrative is so straight-forward, told in such an innocent way, that the voice becomes poignant, highlighting the cruelties that surround Peter’s childhood.
This is a collection with which we can easily identify. We are immediately drawn in by the narrative voice. One of the gems in the collection is “The Pipe”. It is a wholly surprising story that is written with just the right amount of tension to give the whole scenario an ominous quality. That story really took me by surprise.
I highly recommend this collection. Each one of these stories will leave you thinking, which is the best thing we can expect from writing.
July 29, 2013
Bones Buried in the Dirt is the incredibly well-written first person narrative of a boy named Peter, growing up in the Midwest during the 1980's. I found this pre-coming-of-age story unusually fascinating, in the sense that it achieves a depth that can only be reached by ripping away the shroud of ego surrounding the day-to-day memories of an ordinary childhood. In doing so, Peter is able to walk the reader through 8 years of his life with raw, often unnerving honesty, unveiling as he goes, innocence & joy, juxtaposed by fear, confusion, & shame. The real beauty in his story is that he could be anyone. I highly recommend this book, though it is it difficult to want to read in parts. You'll find yourself saddened and embarrassed for Peter; at others, you'll relish with him boyhood victories. Either way, by the time you close the book, you'll know him, for better and worse, and you'll want to revisit him often.
January 23, 2013
Nothing is harder than capturing the ethos of a child, writing from a child's perspective, and bringing the reader into a child's world. This is where Atkinson's writing excels. He goes beyond writing about children and instead encourages the reader to be a part of his fictional world. "His teeth chattered as he talked. It made me think of the monkeys at the zoo." Writing like this invites the reader in, lets the reader see the world through the narrator's eyes. It's the same world, only different. The stories feel familiar, and they draw you in. But Atkinson goes beyond the idea of "memory" and lets us experience these stories through the eyes of someone who comes from somewhere else.
Very enjoyable from start to finish. "Wooden Nickel Payback" sets the bar for quality, and just about all of the stories deliver on the same level.
Very enjoyable from start to finish. "Wooden Nickel Payback" sets the bar for quality, and just about all of the stories deliver on the same level.
February 5, 2013
Instantly I was taken by Peter's voice: its gritty and realistic tone which at times is mature and other times is innocent. Each story serves as a snapshot of Peter's childhood, which collectively form a larger narrative which comments more on the nature of memory than on Peter himself. The stories are bones--fossils of who Peter will become as an adult. Individually they are important, but together they construct a larger identity for the reader and a world that exists outside the pages of this book. That is what makes this debut so stellar. I found myself thinking about my "bones" and whatever became of them long after I had finished.
April 2, 2013
Authentically capturing the voice of a child is no easy task, but it is a task David S. Atkinson has accomplished with aplomb. Bones Buried in the Dirt is an unflinching look at the meanness, the heartbreak, the thousand and one little victories, triumphs, and defeats that make up childhood. Peter is an absolute delight of a narrator as we follow him though various stages of his life. By turns uproariously funny and heart wrenching, Bones Buried in the Dirt is honest and unflinching.
December 9, 2012
A wonderful and unique collection of short stories that capture universal themes from everyone's childhood!
Read
February 4, 2021Sparsely and beautifully written stories about childhood sexuality, violence and terror.
abandoned
June 22, 2015I wanted to like it...
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