One Last Chance

by Jerry Borrowman

Artie Call can’t get a break. Orphaned during the Depression, he steals food to survive. When mischief lands him in juvenile court, he’s offered a home by fellow ward member David Boone, but then suffers under Boone’s unkind and unyielding treatment. And after Artie helps the victim of a robbery gone bad, he’s abandoned by Boone and is almost sentenced to juvenile hall. Then his luck and life suddenly change. Mary Wilkerson, the feisty widow who was robbed, sees potential in Artie and takes him into her custody. Ray McCandless, the wise yet firm chauffeur, teaches Artie about cars, life, and the connections between the two. Under their care, Artie develops the desire and the ability to leave his past behind and grasp the hope in his future, which shines like Mary’s luxurious Duesenberg. But when cornered by old enemies, will he defend his honor with his life? Jerry Borrowman masterfully combines emotion, morality, suspense, and humor in this tender coming-of-age story. Readers will struggle and rejoice with Artie as he discovers the value of integrity, the sweetness of family ties, and the reality of the American dream. And they will never forget the triumph that unfolds when a good boy with bad problems is given one last chance.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Lds Fiction, Lds, Fiction, Book Club, Audiobook

273 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2009

About the author

Jerry Borrowman is an award-winning author of 23 commercially published books including military fiction, non-fiction, and co-authored biography. Jerry is a two-time recipient of the prestigious George Washington National Medal from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge "for his contribution to the cause of freedom through his writing." Compassionate Soldier was the 2019 Gold Award Winner from Foreword Reviews in the War and Military category, and Invisible Heroes of World War II and Why We Fought were Silver Winners.

Jerry is known for his meticulous attention to historical detail, including the technology that is unique to each story.

Reviews

[Dorry Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was set in the very late 1920's. The depression was going on and as an orphan Artie Call steals food to survive. He goes from one trouble to another. He is taken in by a family who are not too kind to him. He is blackmailed by other crooks and almost goes to detention Center. Finally he is saved by a widow who he with others have tried to rob. She really loves him and does a lot for him. Also, her chauffeur plays a big part in him going straight. There is some suspense, humor and sadness. In the end it shows what kindness can do to change a person.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written story set back in the 1930's about a boy who keeps losing those he loves. First, his mom dies when he was five, then a couple years later, his dad dies. He is sent to live with his grandparents and after a few years, his grandmother dies leaving him with his grandfather who is starting dementia. So, Artie starts stealing food, so they have something to eat. He gets caught and goes to court where he is ordered to live with the Boone family who use him and abuse him. As a last straw, the judge orders Artie to live with Mary Wilkerson and Artie's life starts to look good. Trials and tribulations abound but Mary teaches Artie...Arthur...that familes work through problems, talk them out, problem solve and through it all still love and respect each other. I really enjoyed this story.

[Suzanne Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave it 4 stars, but it's not quite there, more like 3.5 to 3.75 stars. It has great characters and interesting historical car information around the depression era. I chuckled when I read, "It's a duesey," and had to run ask my husband if he knew where the saying originated. Now I know, and so will you if you read the book.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artie Call is living with his grandfather and having to steal so they can eat. He gets caught with the wrong crowd and goes before the judge who places him in a foster home. Unfortunately Mr. Boone whips him. He joins with two other boys to rob a widow who eventually adopts him and changes his life. Artie grows to love Ray the chauffeur, Bethany the cook, and Mary who teaches and loves him.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story. This is a feel good story about a boy and his mistakes, challenges, opportunities, and growing up. Very well done!

[Hilary Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story maybe bit to much car talk, but I still enjoyed it..

[Tristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The year is 1932, a time of desperation for almost everyone in America as paychecks became meager and jobs were hard to find, once lost. Artie Call certainly knows the feeling of desperation in his own life. His grandfather, his only remaining family, is losing his mental capacities and Artie must resort to stealing to keep himself and his grandfather fed. He knows it’s wrong and he doesn’t want to do it, but he feels as though he has no choice. When his grandfather is taken away, it seems all he’s done is for nothing.

Artie falls in with a group of boys who don’t seem to care about the morality of their choices, and they drag him into participating in a robbery at the mansion of one of their small town elite, a widow by the name of Mary Wilkerson. When Mary interrupts the robbery and it takes a turn toward assault and battery, Artie steps in and protects her, a move that puts him in the bad graces of his gang but gives Mary cause to give him another chance. When his day comes in court, she surprises Artie by offering to take him in and give him a home.

With patient, loving care and a firm code of conduct, Mary helps Artie see that our pasts don’t have to dictate our futures, and we can decide day by day who we will become.

I enjoyed this historical fiction novel for the sense it gave me of what life was like during the Great Depression. I also appreciated the look at the cars of the 1930’s, a topic with which I was only vaguely familiar. The author obviously did his research and presented the cars with great detail. I confess that just a little bit of it went over my head, as I’m more of a riding-in-cars sort of person and not a fixing-and-restoring-cars gal, but it was interesting and I felt I learned a lot.

That said, the story is the focus and while cars do play a role, the characters are strong, memorable, and likeable. I highly recommend “One Last Chance.”

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

slower read about the time of the great depression. A boy named arthur has had a bad draw. He's lost all the people that have loved him and now because he is trying to provide for his aging grandfather through providing food although stolen and stand up for him by playing tricks on those that bad mouth him he is in court and may be headed to juvenile detention. An unlikely person, Mr. Boone steps forward and tried to reform him, not to benefit Artie, but to make himself look good. He treats artie horribly with whippings for everything he does wrong. Then after another bad choice, Artie is brought before the judge once again and this time artie is taken in by the rich Mrs. Mary wilkerson. He becomes a true family with her, her chaufer, Ray who teaches Artie the love of cars and is a good role model and Bethany, the cook. Through life experiences Artie sheds off the old bad habits and forms the man that those around him are proud of.

[Nielson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the book group book for the month. It was a pretty quick read. I liked the book and thought it was really sweet. I wasn't totally hooked on it, but it did hold my attention enough to want to keep reading. It is a sweet story about a boy named Artie who lived right after the time of the depression. He had lost his parents and was living with his grandpa. His grandpa has to go and live in an care center so he goes to live with Mr. Boone who is just an awful, mean, abusive man. In the end he ends up with Mary Wilkerson. I love the characters that live at the Wilkerson home. I love the relationship that he develops with Ray.I was SO sad at the end when Ray died. It was so sad that Artie had to deal with so much death. But it was such a sweet ending. I'm not very into cars, but I did like the history about cars and the great depression etc. I found myself becoming intrigued by all of the different cars. Good, sweet book.

[Daron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should have gotten a 4 on my list. It has some great characters, a great sense of place, and a very heartwarming storyline. I really wanted to give it at least a 4. At one point in the story, there was a chapter which touched me quite deeply. It was very well written. I thought at the time I might even rate the book a 5. But then I waded through other chapters where I kept being pulled out of the story. My conclusion which dropped the rating to a 3: Too much head-hopping. So much so that in certain places it was almost jarring. And there was a place or two where I sensed the author was trying to force me to feel a certain way. He was telling rather than showing. If those two things would have been absent, it very well could have earned a 5.

[Ada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artie was orphaned and steals food to survive. He's offered a home by a ward member who was hypocritical and mean. Artie is blackmailed into a robbery, after which the victim of the robbery takes him in to raise him. This book is okay and I enjoyed reading it for its feel-good story. However, it was a little unrealistic to me that all the pieces could fit together so nicely and that life could pull the best out of Artie's background. Perhaps we'd all like to think it could happen that easily and there is hope manifest in having a story do that for us so quickly. Cars are a major part of the description and that didn't impress me either. Maybe the author was playing for the male side of the house?

[A.L. Sowards]

A sweet, uplifting coming-of-age story. It covered a few years of the main character's life, and there were a few times when I felt the story seemed abridged. That was my only complaint. Well, that and the book made me cry (just like all the author's other books). Borrowman is so good at character development, and this book was no exception. Different from his WWI and WWII books, but still enjoyable and worth the read.

[Naomi Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jerry Borrowman is perhaps one of my favorite authors. This book is really a kind of Depression-era "Oliver Twist." I'm not a huge car person and so during various parts of the book where the author delves into the cars of the time, I started to skim a bit. However, the story is very powerful. I don't often tear up while reading books but this book was definitely an exception. An excellent book.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. It shows what can happen when someone believes in someone else, even if that person has been hurt by the first one at some time. It also shows that people can change from the way they were. I liked this book just as much this time as I did the first time that I read it. I like the way Jerry Borrowman writes. My daughter liked this book also.

[Shirlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artie, an orphan during the Depression, faces a tough life when he gets into trouble with the law. He is offered opportunities to start a new life and tries to make the best of them. This is a story of a boy growing up as he discovers the value of honesty, family, and a chance to live the American dream -- and loves "cars".

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. All about an abandoned teen who gets a second shot and turns his life around. The fact that I wanted to keep reading it instead of taking a nap is really saying something for me in regards to a book these days!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Even though I don't really think it had much of a plot, it was still really enjoyable. The characters were very believable and the story was well put together. Read this if you love to root for the underdog.

[Chanae · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. Not as good as Til the Boys Come Home, which I loved. Mostly this book is about cars from the 1930's. So since that topic doesn't interest me all that much it was a pretty slow and often boring read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artie Call lives in Boise, ID, during the Depression. After his parents and grandmother dies, he tries to take care of his grandfather who has Altzheimers. With no money, he steels food so they can eat. Interesting story of growing up, cars (Duesenberg), families and love.

[Deveny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rough-around-the-edges boy get involved with gang, then adopted by stern but loving grandma figure, finds true love while growing up, gang comes back to make trouble but all turns out right in the end. In a nut shell.

[Shellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book! There are some characters to love, and some to hate even after the book is finished. The story picks up toward the middle and then through the end. If you can get through the beginning, it is a great book! Just slow at first.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought this was a little cliche, rags to riches story but it really grew on me and I loved Ray's character and Mary. I loved how they helped Artie overcome his weaknesses. This is a great read for a teen /pre-teen boy. Lots of car talk.

[Cate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was open to reading this book and the beginning was great... but then it would just skip chunks of time going from one even to another with no bridging in between. I read a little more than half way and then put the book down.....

[Sherilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guys will probably like this more than girls but it was pretty good.

[Polly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another LDS author. This was an okay book. Nothing to shout over.

[Rosalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think this was as wonderful as some of Jerry Borrowman's other books (probably because I don't have a big interest in cars) but I still enjoyed it.

[Jeff Bennion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ange should read.

[Swhe641200 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edith Brown's Book. This was a great book about adverity and what can happen in your life in regard to how you react to what life throws at you.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some really touching parts of the book, but at the end the characters were mostly two dimensional to me. I would still recommend it though for a fun read.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast, great read. I really like this author