A Sack of Teeth

by Grant Buday

Six-year-old Jack Klein’s first day of school is also a day of radical Jack’s mother Lorraine learns that her husband, Ray, is having an affair, and that her secret love, Antoine Gaudin, the 65-year-old boarder in the basement, has committed suicide, leaving behind a suitcase full of money and a sack of gold teeth. Lorraine’s decision about what to do about the money, the gold teeth, and Ray’s infidelity will forever change her life and her family. This briskly paced, black-comic tale moves seamlessly between the distinct but overlapping worlds of a confused child, a mother immersed in 1960s youth culture, and a father who worships the fading Rat Pack and the indulgences it represents.

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Gribblet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in a day, didn't want to put it down, knew that Buday was going to leave me hanging like the prom queen leaves her beau with his pants around his ankles when her parents have just turned on the porch light, still was unable to resist finishing the book. Usually I hate having the characters in a story switch off narration - this time it was well enough done that I enjoyed it, except for the buffoon of a dad. No one has that flimsy a justification for bad behavior. Off the top of my head, I'd say it's all an elegant ruse to keep you from noticing that the author has father issues.

[Steven Buechler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beauty of a good coming-of-age novel is that we can empathize or at least learn from the pain of the characters. And that is what one can do with this book. The story is set in September 1965 and it is Jack’s first day of school. But it also the day that Jack’s mother learns of her husband’s affair while trying to deal with the suicide of their downstairs tenant (And her secret love.) Buday divides the narrative of the of the book between the voices of the three family members to brilliantly make the reader hear and feel the confusion and anguish of the lifestyle that exists in that cohesion.

http://tinyurl.com/ps6hqb9

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, up until the last page. There lurks a deeply disappointing ending, not so much for how the narrative ends but that it ends when it does. Gah! What happened to Jack? you want to shriek, To horrible Egbert and the doomed Ivor?

I really liked the kids in this tale, and for the most part, contrasted as they are with the adults make the adults behavior seem even more reprehensible. The tale in general, though too short, is really good, an interesting read, with some historical provinence to bind it all together.

[Judith Yeabsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seems like it should have delivered so much more. It was good and parts were excellent but there just wasn't enough oomph for me. There were some fascinating threads that just didn't get developed enough. I needed to hear more about each of the characters to really get involved.

[Perkimom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel told through the eyes of a child, involving his family and relationships surrounding him with vivid characters, angst, and surprises.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like a character study, but there is an awful lot of plot.

[Lennea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I looked forward to getting back to. Quirky.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed everything about this book except for the ending. I wanted more from the author.