The Boys in the Tree
Mary Swan
Holt, Feb 2008, $14.00
ISBN: 9780805086706
William Heath was badly abused as a child. The scars on his body remind him never to hit a child, a vow he made to himself. He kept his personal pledge, but was a distant man, unable to display affection towards his wife and children. His employer in England caught William embezzling, but instead of sending him to prison he exiled him to Canada. There he and his family live in poverty, but he believes they are better than others in their poor community.
He has few job offers but accepts a job in Eastern Ontario in the town of Emden as a bookkeeper to Mr. Marl. Things look up for William and his family until he is arrested for embezzling from his new employer and in a twist of irony Mr. Morl bails him out. William gets a gun and kills his family members before surrendering to the law. His case upsets townsfolk who thought they knew him like his daughter’s schoolteacher, the doctor and his son.
While the crime is shocking and horrifying, the effects ripple throughout the community long after the victims are buried and the killer hung. For instance the teacher regrets her inactivity and inability to read the signs of violence and feels guilty that she allowed him to take his daughter out of her class. The doctor wonders if he should have had an inkling on Mr. Heath’s mental health when he came to pay his daughter’s bill and perhaps prevented the tragedy by stepping forward. Others feel shock and shame for ignoring the signs (think of the Genovese killing in Queens, NY). Thus the audience obtains a fascinating crime tale that focuses on how everyone missed the signs of pending violence and the guilt shared by all.
Harriet Klausner
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
酒店喝酒
酒店兼職
酒店
酒店現領
酒店小姐
酒店打工
台北酒店經紀
酒店工作
酒店兼差
酒店經紀
酒店消費
制服店
喝花酒
粉味
酒店pt
酒店經紀PRETTY GIRL
酒店打工PRETTY GIRL
酒店小姐PRETTY GIRL
酒店上班PRETTY GIRL
酒店兼差PRETTY GIRL
酒店經紀爆米花
酒店打工爆米花
酒店小姐爆米花
酒店上班爆米花
酒店上班爆米花
酒店經濟
酒店經濟
Post a Comment