Module 5: Miracle's Boys

Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson

Book Cover Image:

Book Summary:

Miracle’s Boys centers on how three brothers (Lafayette, Charlie, and Tyree) struggle to come together as a family after their father dies of hypothermia rescuing a woman from a frozen lake, and then their mother dies from diabetes complications.  The oldest brother, Tyree, is just out of high school and has given up a chance at MIT to keep custody of his two teenage brothers.  The youngest brother, Lafayette, is dealing with guilt over his mother’s death because he didn’t seek immediate help when he found her unresponsive.  The middle brother, after making a poor choice, is home after two years in a correctional facility for underage offenders; he has come back angry and hard.  Each brother deals with his grief in a different way.  Lafayette withdraws into himself, Charlie lashes out in anger, and Tyree steps into his parents’ roles and takes on their responsibilities.  The novel is told from the perspective of 12 year old Lafayette and often shifts into flashbacks where Lafayette describes his memories of the closeness he shared with both his brothers when their mother was still alive, and how his brothers have changed since her death.  The brothers struggle to communicate, and it’s not until they share honestly the reasons for their guilt and anger that they start to bond again and have hope about their futures.

APA Reference of Book:

Woodson, J. (2000). Miracle’s boys. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. 

Impressions:

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading Miracle’s Boys.  Realistic fiction is not my favorite genre and the somber subject matter is not what I normally select to read.  Once I began the novel, however, I came to care for the characters.  Woodson’s rich characterization and the authentic voices of the brothers are what made this story so compelling for me.  After reading the book, I was amazed to realize that the story took place in two short days; the flashbacks however cover a period of more than three years.  These back and forth transitions were smoothly and cleverly done, but a younger reader might find this nonlinear storyline confusing.  The emotions portrayed by the three brothers (Charlie’s anger, Lafayette’s depression, and Tyree’s need to step in and support the others in the family) are realistic reactions to the death of a loved one and will speak to any reader who has experienced a similar loss.

Professional Review:

Horn Book Magazine

“Even though it's been more than two years since his mother died, thirteen-year-old Lafayette continues to grieve by withdrawing into an inner world where he is haunted by his memories. Secretly he blames himself for his mother's death since he was the one to find her body after she sank into a diabetic coma. His twenty-two-year-old brother Ty'ree, mature and responsible, has some demons of his own: he witnessed the drowning death of their father before Lafayette was even born. These two brothers have learned to depend on each other for the emotional comfort that comes from predictable daily routines. Quite likely each would have worked through his private trauma at his own pace were it not for a third brother, Charlie, who, at age sixteen, has just returned from doing time at Rahway Home for Boys for an armed robbery he committed three years earlier. The challenge of living with this angry, hostile brother forces Ty'ree and Lafayette to open up to each other, so that they can finally work through their grief and figure out how to help Charlie survive. This compelling novel about contemporary African-American brothers living in New York City is oddly reminiscent of S. E. Hinton's early novels, with its streetwise, self-sufficient orphans who seek refuge in art films and self-examination. Although there is little action in a story that is told almost entirely through dialogue and Lafayette's innermost thoughts and memories, the narrator's voice maintains a tone of sweet melancholy that is likely to hold the attention of thoughtful young teens. And, like Hinton's novels, it may not be entirely credible, but it sure has heart.”

Horning, K. T. (2000, March/April). [Review of the book Miracle’s boys by, J. Woodson].  Horn Book Magazine, (76)2, 203-204. Retrieved from http://archive.hbook.com/magazine/

Library Uses:

Middle School Library

Miracle’s Boys contains very somber subject matter and so will not appeal to most students at first glance.  To promote this novel, the school librarian can have a book talk featuring other realistic fiction novels or have a preliminary discussion about dealing with death and loss.