The Island of Worthy Boys

by Connie Hertzberg Mayo

In Boston at the turn of the century, two indigent adolescent boys, Aidan and Charles, are brought together by a common desire: earning enough money each day to feed themselves (and, in Aidan’s case, his mother and sister). Together, they achieve this goal by robbing drunken sailors in the brothel district of the city—until one night they accidently kill their victim. To avoid arrest, they leave the city, conning their way into an island school that only accepts boys with squeaky-clean pasts. But the pressure of keeping their stories straight soon fractures their friendship—and when the cracks begin to show, they find out that they are not as safe from the law as they had hoped.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Book Club, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Boarding School

340 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2015

About the author

The Island of Worthy Boys is a 2015 USA Best Book Awards Finalist, and a 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Finalist.

Connie Hertzberg Mayo came to Massachusetts to get a Literature degree from Tufts University and never left. She first learned about Thompson Island shortly after graduation and immediately knew it was a great setting for a work of fiction, but it took twenty years and the rise of the internet to make her feel like she could start researching and writing. She works as a Systems Analyst and lives in southern Massachusetts with her husband, two children, two cats and her heirloom tomato garden.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when I read a book , I can't help but wonder what was the one thing, or the one moment, or the one place , or the one person that moved the author to set the story in motion. Once in a while in an interview or note at the beginning or end of the book , the author shares that personal spark of creativity with us . Connie Hertzberg Mayo tells the reader in the afterword how she first came to know about Thompson Island in Boston Harbor . While on a team building exercise with fellow employees from her workplace , she was taken to the island . It was then that she discovered that a boy's reform school was once on the island and she thought about how it would be "a great setting for a novel." Twenty years later her spark came to fruition and I'm so glad that she allowed the idea to come to life . I really enjoyed the story , these characters and the setting in Boston and Thompson Island in the late 1890's.

I couldn't help but feel for these two young boys even as they steal to survive. There is Charles, street wise and tough at aged 12 having lived on the streets since his mother's death two years prior . Aiden , a gentler soul , not quite twelve, and perhaps more naive in the way of the streets, gets caught up in crime to help his sick, alcoholic mother and his younger sister. The two boys , former acquaintances at school become fast friends and join forces just to survive. They end up in harrowing situations rolling the drunks in alleys by the harbor.

In the first part of the book, I loved the descriptions of Boston in 1889 and having lived in the Boston area . I recognized the names of many of the places . Others I had to look up and learned that Scollay Square is now Government Center. It's hard to imagine that this was a place full of bars , and theaters and prostitutes . I loved putting myself in the modern day locations and imagining them in the past - The Common , Beacon Street

When they end up at Boston Farm School on Thompson Island , trying to save themselves after a robbery gone wrong ,they are grateful to have food and a place to sleep away from the law . However, it's not an easy place to be with rules and work and fitting into this new world and all the while having to make everyone believe that they are newly orphaned brothers . Of course things don't go as planned, and we come to know these boys as well as the superintendent Charles H. Bradley, in whose memory the author dedicates the book . While Charles and Aiden are fictional characters , Bradley is not .

The characters and the story appealed to me in so many ways . They were victims of their circumstances and it's hard not to root for these young boys and admire Bradley.
I definitely recommend it and hope that Connie Hertzberg Mayo continues to write.

Thanks to She Writes Press and NetGalley.

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the surface, The Island of Worthy Boys is a story of two Boston boys in the last years of the 19th century who find escape at an island Farm School from a life of thievery after accidentally stabbing a mark one night. I had never heard of this Farm School in Boston Harbor. The author spoke to an alumnus in her research and also the school's self-published newspaper that was printed each week.

It is a well told story, giving depth to both Charles, a well seasoned street orphan, and Aidan, an Irish boy trying to support his mom and young sister. The boys form a brotherhood, giving Charles the first person in his life to trust.

This would be a great read even if this was all there was to it, but the story is more than just this story. Bailey, the superintendent at the Farm School, is a similarly rich character. He struggles with his power to choose which boys can be saved at his school and which can't. And more central to the story, how can you tell. Do past actions necessarily determine future ones or can the boys move past these bad choices when given better options? Are the "bad boys" that way from birth or is it circumstances? Can one bad apple spoil the bunch or does it simply bring out flaws that are already there?

I enjoyed all levels of the story, and as marks a great book, I was sad to finish.

Full disclosure: I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book from NetGalley and She Writes Press in exchange for this honest review.

[Michelle Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Island of Worthy Boys was an intriguing read that I wanted to get back to each day. It is full of historical detail about a time and place not usually documented - an island near Boston for poor - but not delinquent - boys to be educated. This is a different sort of concept, and it was refreshing to read fiction based on fact that shows the inherent goodness of people rather than merely relating what could have been a predictably horrific setting. We've all seen that too many times. Mayo's re-creation, then, is surprising and fresh. She brings to light the compassion and desire to do good in the island's superintendent and his struggle to understand what that really means and to put it into practice. The Island of Worthy Boys was a wonderful read. I enjoyed getting lost in the characters and loved the setting!

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engaging, beautifully written work of historical fiction. While the main characters Charles and Aidan are fictitious, Boston Asylum and Farm School for Indigent Boys did actually exist as does Thompson Island MA.
Charles and Aidan meet quite by accident and although Charles is wary of people and used to being alone the two quickly become the best of friends. They are each suffering through their own hard times and their friendship is only solidified when things take a turn for the worse. I was totally immersed in this story and couldn't put it down.

I received an advance copy in exchange for review

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 I was quickly pulled into this story about a farm school for boys on Thompson Island, off the coast of Boston. Though the story is fiction, the setting is real. A terrific book for young adults and adults.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 4.5 stars

"I'm simply saying that a boy is not defined by just one thing that he has done." "But they are criminals," Mary said with some confusion. "No, Mary they are boys who committed crimes. They are not even adults who have committed crimes. They have not yet become the persons they will be as adults for the rest of their lives."

See reviews first on my blog

I’ve had this book on my kindle app for around 8 months now, and I’ve been putting it up because I thought that was going to be a sad story. It’s not. While it does have sad moments, and times where you wish that no child had to be in these situations, you also see how strong these boys are and despite having so many things against them end up making a place for themselves in this world.
This story is set in Boston 1889 and for the most part follows to young boys

Charles (12) is an orphan who has dropped out of school, and is avoiding being sent to a reform school or jail again. He works the streets anyway he can in order to get money for food, clothing and occasionally a place to sleep.
Aidan (11) has also had to stop going to school and instead finds ways to make money on the streets of Boston as well in order to provide food and shelter for his mom and little sister.
It also shows small segments of dialogue between Charles and Mary Bradley who ran the school.
One day Charles and Aidan meet in a pile of furniture (Apparently that was somewhat of a common thing back then) which leads into a fight and then the boys decide to become friends with one each other. As they learn a little bit about one another and see how certain things they have in common, and how they both are just trying to stay alive. While Aidan wants them to work together, Charles thinks this is a terrible idea and then he realizes how maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have a little help occasionally and agrees to it. But one night while rolling some drunks it all goes wrong and they know they have to get away from Boston. With the help of one of Charles friends they are sent to Boston’s Farm School. While this is a reform school, it isn’t awful to the students, and instead the boys learn life skills, schooling and self-government.
At the reform school the boys lie almost constantly. Which is easy for Charles but Aidan really struggles with this and even ends up telling someone. At the reform school, we see the boys become better friends, have a falling out and then become friends again. We see how different they can be when they aren’t just trying to survive.
But then they get found out and all of their lies start falling apart with no way for Charles to try and talk their way out of it.
When I got to this part of the book, I knew I had to finish it and find out what happened to them before I did anything else. It did not disappoint. It was an amazing ending that wrapped up nicely and we even got to briefly see what they were like as adults.

While Charles and Mary Bradley in this story are real, as well as the Farm School being real as well. Charles and Aidan are fictional, but I do wonder how many of the real boys that lived there have somewhat similar stories to this one.
This is a young adult book, but I think it can be enjoyed by adults as well. I can't wait to see if Mayo writes other books in the future as this was her debut novel. Though I'm not sure she could top this one.


*Does contain some rude language and description of nudity occasionally.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

[Wally Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aiden Sullivan and Charles Wheeler are 11 and 12 years old in Boston in 1889. Aiden, nominally Catholic, nominally Irish, has no father and a consumptive, dying mother. Charles, an orphan who has already done time for stealing a sandwich, is living by his considerable wits on the streets. They connect early and plausibly in Connie Hertzberg Mayo's fascinating new novel, The Island of Worthy Boys.


Mayo shows the boys' daily scramble to make enough money for food and, in Aiden's case, for rent to keep a tenament roof over his mother and little sister. Desperation finally pushes the boys into rolling drunken sailors on the waterfront, which works until it doesn't. One night, the drunk grabs Charles who has just opened the man's pocket knife, and, in horrible accident, plunges the knife into the man's gut. Worse, a woman happens out of an alley door, spots the boys, and cries havoc. Charles and Aiden now have to get out of Boston, but where?



With the connivance of a friendly whore and an accommodating minister, the boys pass themselves off as orphan brothers and are sent to the Boston Farm School on an island in Boston Harbor. That the school's policy not to accept boys with any kind of criminal record, which Charles has; that there is rampant anti-Irish feeling in Boston in the period, which means Aiden has to watch his accent; and that the school promotes a heavy Protestant Christian ethos to boys guilty of murder makes the island a refuge filled with tripwires.



At the same time, the school offers school, work, shelter, and regular meals. The book's middle section book dramatizes Aiden's and Charles's adjustment to school life as the reader knows this idyll is too good to last. As it is.


The Boston Farm School on Thompson Island in Boston Harbor was a real institution, and Charles Bradley, the superintendent of the school in the book, was in fact the superintendent from 1888 to 1922; his wife Mary was the school's matron. The school was finally closed in 1975.


Mayo has taken the basic factual information about the school and 1889 Boston society to create two engaging 12-year-olds in Aiden and Charles. The novel works so well I think because Mayo is able to evoke the times, the society, and the thought processes of the characters. We see the world through the eyes of Charles, Aiden, and Superintendent Bradley; they are all different, and they are all convincing, given who they are and what they want.


Although the two protagonists of The Island of Worthy Boys are pre-teen, which tends to cast a novel into the YA genre, I believe this is a book adults and young adults can find rewarding. Young people will be interested how Aiden and Charles fill their days in Boston, scrounging for pennies, and at the school, adjusting to life with 98 other boys. Adult readers will be interested in Mayo's evocation of 19th century assumptions about child raising, the era of "As the twig is bent, the tree will grow." Bradley turns out to be an unusually enlightened and kind reform school superintendent. I finished the book pleased and satisfied, and, perhaps more importantly, convinced that the lives Mayo has realized could have truly lived while the drama of their story carried me along.

[Diana Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this historical novel and loved the story, the character development, the layering of minor attributes--e.g. Aidan's sense of smell, Charles's treatment of the dog--to indicate character and future action.

The story is based upon a little-known school for boys, Farm School, which existed on a small island off the Boston Harbor. Unlike the Dickensian orphanages we are used to reading about, The Island of Worthy Boys is a refuge for those who had no other options besides a life of crime on the gritty streets of Boston at the turn of the twentieth century. The author carries us into this world and has us yearning for a better life for Aidan and Charles. A page-turner into an institution which provided a safety net we could learn from today, The Island of Worthy Boys is a wonderful story of boyhood and brotherhood.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very appealing piece of historical fiction by a first-time author, of particular appeal to those of us in the Boston area who may have visited Thompson's Island in Boston harbor. It tells of two boys in turn-of-the-(last)-century Boston who find their way to the real-life Boston Farm School in desperation, and discover a chance to turn their troubled lives around. Sobering to realize what life was like for poor or orphaned children before the advent of real social services. Equally disturbing to realize that the Farm School catered to Protestant boys, and that an Irish accent was an almost insurmountable obstacle. Real life Farm School Superintendent Charles Bradley comes across as a realistic person, struggling with contemporary prejudices and the boys are appealing and well-drawn. Readers who enjoyed "The Orphan Train" will gobble this up.

[LeeAndra Chergey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got lost in the story of these young boys on the streets of Boston. Connie implanted graphic images throughout the entire story in my brain that kept me compelled. The school and the headmaster intrigued me. I got a little panicky when I realized I was almost finished and couldn't decide how it would end-and what I was going to do with myself when it did! I wanted more of Aiden and Charles and loved that Connie already had her characters picked out when she found the cover picture. That gives me hope that they really could have existed (in some form) and will go on in my memory forever. Great Read! Brava!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the main characters in this book -- the two boys and their buddies. The depiction of the world of low-income and homeless children in Boston in this period was artful, detailed and wonderfully (or terribly) vivid. I appreciated the way Connie brings us into the sensual environment of the time, and gives us a real feeling for both the bravery and the vulnerability of these children. For me, the scenes at the Farm while interesting and well drawn weren't as compelling as the early part of the book, but I appreciated the whole tale and recommend it.

[Patry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling heartfelt novel that shines a light on a forgotten corner of Massachusetts history. Not to be missed!

[Sheila The Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love The Island of Worthy Boys because of my personal connection to Boston, my place of birth and former hometown. My grandparents were born and raised in Boston’s West End, on Chambers Street—a location mentioned in the book—which gave the story a sense of nostalgia for me.

Set in 1889 Boston, the book follows two street boys, Charles and Aidan, who are trying to survive the city’s harsh streets. When their struggle for survival leads to an accidental crime, the boys flee to Thompson Island and its Farm School for Indigent Boys, hoping to find redemption and safety.

The story started with promise, and I was initially intrigued by the setting and premise. Unfortunately, the book became bogged down with too much detail that made it hard for me to stay engaged. While I appreciated the historical accuracy and richly drawn depiction of the boy’s experiences, the overly detailed narrative made the plot feel sluggish, and I struggled to maintain my interest.

I chose this book for the first installment of my year-long decades challenge and, despite wanting to quit, I stuck with it to the end. The ending was sweet, which helped redeem the reading experience somewhat, but I just wish the book had been more compelling throughout.

For readers who enjoy intricately detailed historical fiction, this may be the perfect read, but for me, it fell short of expectations. I gave it three stars, as it wasn’t a bad book—just not quite the engaging story I had hoped for, despite its nostalgic setting.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as the first novel in the Decades Challenge. Character driven and full of beautiful prose, the story follows Charles and Aiden as they navigate Massachusetts back in the 1890s.

It’s one of those novels in which you can put yourself immediately in the surroundings with the boys. My heart went out to these young children, trying to make their way without parental guidance. The plot regarding the dog was endearing and I enjoyed the ending. It was quite slow, however, and didn’t always keep my attention.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always love a good Boston based historical fiction piece. Hertzberg Mayo did a great job of bringing you right into this setting. Character development is strong. Really enjoyed this book.

[J.A. Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an awesome read!

My favorite historical novels have strong, rich characters that move quickly and always seem to be on the verge of trouble. They keep me engaged and usually provide a few facts that interest me. If the novel’s plot isn't too challenging, and the characters are well defined, I can get lost in the reading world for hours, wanting to see what the main characters see, smell what they smell and feel what they feel.

Connie Hertzberg-Mayo’s debut novel The Island of Worthy Boys is such a novel. This book is full of colorful, strong characters that got under my skin and stayed there from the very beginning.

The Island of Worthy Boys is a tale of two young disadvantaged boys, Charles and Aidan, who become partners in crime doing what they can to stay alive on the streets of Boston in 1889. And they do just fine until their wayward adventures take a big turn for the worst, and they know they must leave the city. Calling in a favor from an old friend, the boys manage to get themselves enrolled at the Boston Farm School for boys and escape being shipped to a prison style reform school for delinquents. They make a vow to stay close to each other at the school and keep their secrets secret no matter what.

The Boston Farm School storyline is superb. With a cast of characters who keep the story moving at a smooth pace, the school is a lively hub of activity. It even has a Superintendent that almost anyone would admire. He’s the entire opposite of the school matron (his wife) who’s overly suspicious and not particularly friendly to anyone.

Aidan and Charles are challenged with the rules and structure at the school until they find their feet and become a part of the community. As the months roll on they both learn new things, make friends and seem hopeful and happy. And just as things are looking good for them, their shady past rears its ugly head, and their future is in jeopardy once again.

A very satisfying read. I'm going to recommend this novel to most of my friends (it might be a bit too sophisticated for my YA reader friends).

[Sabrina Poole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This another book I would have never picked up had it not been for a book challenge. The topic was reading about children protagonists and on the Book Girls list. This is the historical fiction story of the Boston Farm School which was a real place that helped at-risk boys in the late 1800s. During this time period, boys as young as 11, were seeking out ways to bring in money for their families. And the Boston city life was one of grit, hardness and desperation. Two boys, Aidan and Charles, come together to try to make more money and it all goes horribly wrong one night. They figure the only way out of trouble is to trick their way into the Boston Farm School. At the school they learn about the possibilities of a new life, reclaim some of their childhood and learn that friendships are so important. I really enjoyed this book and learning about this school with this fiction account of it.

[Barbara Stark-Nemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Island of Worthy Boys, by Connie Hertzberg Mayo mixes the harsh reality of turn-of-the-twentieth century urban Boston life for two poor young boys, with the hope and resilience inherent in good children everywhere, and their connection with good people. The brotherhood of Aiden and Charles as it grows toward a truth that wins the day is as charming and inspiring as any historical novel reader could ask for. Well researched and convincingly written, Island of Worthy Boys is a true pleasure!

[Lisa Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this slow moving tale of two boys aged 11 and 12, who both live in Boston in 1889.
Both are poor, and come from hard backgrounds. Charles is outspoken and brazen, a real street urchin who since the death of his parents and with no family to care for him, has taken to living on the streets and stealing food and money from drunks in alleyways. His friends are bartenders and prostitutes. Aidan's mother is depressed from the death of her fiance when she was pregnant with her daughter, and she drinks herself into a state where she can't work doing sewing. Aidan has taken to the streets to get food when needed, and this is how the two boys meet. Their life of minor crime takes a nasty turn and they turn to the prostitute for help. She arranges for them to go to a boys school located on an Island that can only be reached by boat.
The boys don't even know where they're going until they get there, and then they must learn all the rules and the way of life on the farm school. Aidan has been acting as Charles' brother so he's hid his Irish accent until he meets another boy on the farm school who is Irish too. Once he learns his secret he becomes closer to Aidan and helps him learn to play clarinet. Charles is jealous and they begin to grow apart until something happens to expose the lies and they must decide what to do.
This is a great story, although not one that is fast moving. It has interesting stories both in Boston and on the Island as well. The school head-master is an interesting character who has a heart for seeing these boys become something in life and his wife is pretty hard on him. It was interesting to read about the real school and Superintendent Charles H. Bradley as well.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Island of Worthy Boys is a heartwarming, inspiring story of two boys who attend the Boston Farm School in 1889. The school, on Thompson Island in Boston Harbor, is a special place for “needy” boys. Training and placement in various jobs was one of it’s goals. Charles and Aiden are two fictional boys who make their way in Boston by picking pockets, When one of their thefts goes horribly wrong, they fear that they will be sent to a correctional facility. They manage to obtain placement at the Farm School by lying about their circumstances, claiming to be brothers who are orphans. Neither is true. Fortunately for them, the school’s superintendent, Charles H. Bradley (who was a real historical character) has grappled with the question of whether or not children are born bad. He doesn’t believe that one bad act can define a child. The story of Charles and Aiden, their experiences at the Farm School and their relationship to Superindentent Bradley are the basis of the book. I confess that my expectations for this book were not exactly high, but I was pleasantly surprised by its depth and richness. The relationship between the two boys and their relationship to Superintendent Bradley were extremely touching. The characters were beautifully drawn and the plot was filled with interesting twists and turns.

[Brian Brenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel is set on a boy's school on Thompson Island in the late 19th Century. The Boston Farm School for Indigent Boys was a real school on a Boston Harbor island established to educate boys who had lost their families or experienced some other hardship. Attendance at the school was limited to "worthy" (non-criminal) boys who were recommended and vetted. The two main characters escape their life on the streets of Boston, posing as brothers to gain attendance to the school.

The author, Connie Hertzberg Mayo, does a good job describing urchin life on the Boston's streets. Mayo conducted extensive research for her ficti0nal recreation of life at the school. Her pre-adolescent characterizations are great. Massachusetts readers will appreciate her vivid descriptions of circumstances and places around 19th Century Boston. Mayo has a clear and clean writing style with little affectation. She is a good story teller.

The plot has its twists and turns, and I appreciated the ending. But perhaps it was not very realistic considering the events that led to the conclusion.

[Beckimoody Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect feels good book to start a new year. Aidan (age 11) and Charles (age 12) meet on the streets of Boston trying to earn a little money however they can, but a tragic accident soon finds them in serious trouble. Their best option is the Boston Farm School but they don't take "troubled" boys. Aidan and Charles construct an elaborate ruse to get onto the island, but what will happen if someone finds out? The director of the school runs a tight ship focused on routine, and hard work, but cares deeply about his charges. He struggles with notions of nature vs. nurture and exactly what makes a boy worthy of help. Based on a real place, this is part a "coming-of-age" story and part character study but overall is a quick read that was hard to put down.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew the truth would come out, eventually.
I'm glad that Charles and Aiden were able to become like real brothers. Fighting and all.
The farm school on the island sound like the answer. In those days, lots of kids were left alone. I don't mean like latch key kids, either. I mean completely alone. Like Charles & Aidan.
I wonder if that could be a solution in today's world.
( I live near a large group of islands. )

I think Bradley did truly know them to be good boys. I'm glad he did the right thing. The smart move.
Their futures depended on it, and those of the 100 boys of their day.
100 years it operated. 100 boys at a time.
1000's of young boys became respectsble young men. Contributing members of society.
The world needs more places like this!!

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ The main story is about 2 young boys who accidentally kill a man and need to flee the city. With the help of of working lady, the boys, posing as brothers, arrives at The Boston Farm School. Unlike many reform schools, this one is particular on what type of boy arrives so their pasts are hidden. The main story seems a bit to good to be true and there are a couple side stories that were unsuccessful, in my opinion. Abuses noted and ignored. Crimes against a child but the teacher only quietly dismissed and no further mention of the boy. These secondary storylines did nothing for the story and seemed like filler that wasn’t successful in expanding the island experience. Still, a pretty good story based on a real place and superintendent.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thompson Island in Boston Harbor in late 1880's was location to a home for development and care of worthy boys. The setting for two young, 10-11 yr olds, who faced hard time while struggling to survive on the streets, were admitted to the school after a dramatic crime and subterfuge they were deemed 'Worthy Boys'. Good description of the discipline and rigor that they were faced with especially after their free wheeling prior life. One example was their most lucrative gambit was stealing from drunken sailors when they passed out in an alley.
Well researched with interesting characters make a good read!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

'“Who?” Aidan looked puzzled. “Who can we trust?”
Charles smiled his lopsided smile at Aidan. “Each other.”'

Charles and Aiden aren't brothers. But they convince the Boston Farm School they are in order to get away after they accidentally commit a murder on the streets of Boston.
Connie Mayo is amazing at depicting life in Boston for the poor in the late 1800s, complete with all its grittiness and filth. She has clearly done her research on the Farm School as well. Located on Thompson Island in Boston Harbor, it served as a home for poor boys who were taught a trade. Mayo's words bring these forgotten boys into the present in a story you won't soon forget.

[Dori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story brings to life Boston's lost West End dating back to the 1890s, depicting how hard life was in that era for so many. Yet, the author shines a light on the Boston Farm School for boys and its positive impact on society, leaving us wonder why we don't have places like this in today's world.

The story has many interesting facts about Thompson Island and the Boston Farm School. The first school band started there, and it reminds us how music can change someone's perspective on life. Of course, farming is involved. Fresh air, hard work, camaraderie - all accomplished without cell phones!!

Overall, a very interesting read!

[Meredith Grabek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! Yes yes yes! I started working for Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center in August. Hilary, mentioned at the end of this book, told me to read this - and I can’t tell you how much I LOVED it. A great story that keeps your attention and makes you feel for the characters, and root them on. And a story that brings real life into a novel. Connie’s account of the island is so spot on and makes me proud to work at an organization that is continuing the educational legacy on Thompson Island today. LOVED THIS BOOK.

[Stephen And · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed The Island of Worthy Boys. Mayo writes well and crafted a story that was believable and emotionally satisfying. The hardships faced by both boys were heart-wrenchingly portrayed and probably an accurate depiction of the times. I would have given the book five stars were it not for a few unbelievable scenes (such as Charles recovering from a rat bite without treatment or antibiotics) and a few too many convenient coincidences. All in all, however, an interesting and enjoyable read about a topic I knew nothing about.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well developed and intriguing story of two young boys whose lives take an unexpected turn. The time period and experiences were well researched and authentic. While it falls under the historical fiction category, it didn't feel like the author focused on just that like some other stories I've read. It was more about the relationship between the boys and their circumstances. The pacing was smooth. I didn't feel like it dragged along. I had never heard of Hertzberg Mayo before finding this book. I look forward to reading more books that she has written.