Today, I have a historical fiction novel--with a mystery/suspense twist in our book review feature. Read my thoughts on Copy Boy, learn about the book and the author--and enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.
Category: Adult Fiction (18+)
Genre: Noir, Historical Mystery, Literary
Publisher: She Writes Press
Release dates: June 23, 2020
Content Rating: PG-13 + M. The book includes: the F-word 7 times, the word "g--dammit" 4 times, and one violent fight in the beginning.
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Jane’s a very brave boy. And a very difficult girl. She’ll become a remarkable woman, an icon of her century, but that’s a long way off. Not my fault, she thinks, dropping a bloody crowbar in the irrigation ditch after Daddy. She steals Momma’s Ford and escapes to Depression-era San Francisco, where she fakes her way into work as a newspaper copy boy. Everything’s looking up. She’s climbing the ladder at the paper, winning validation, skill, and connections with the artists and thinkers of her day. But then Daddy reappears on the paper’s front page, his arm around a girl who’s just been beaten into a coma one block from Jane’s newspaper―hit in the head with a crowbar. Jane’s got to find Daddy before he finds her, and before everyone else finds her out. She’s got to protect her invented identity. This is what she thinks she wants. It’s definitely what her dead brother wants.
Copy Boy Brings Readers a Glimpse of the Past. I love historical fiction--especially novels that transport me to another place and time. The author does a wonderful job setting her scenes and bringing readers the sights, sounds, and emotions of families moving through and beyond The Great Depression. With a strong, lead female character--the author takes a deep look at the roles and expectations of women during the time.
The Author Gives a Strong Lead with Twists for Readers. The author caught my attention immediately with the storyline and her character interactions. The pace slowed a bit for me and it was nearly the middle of the novel before I settled into the shifts of the story and the author's writing style. Once I settled in to the story again, I loved the pace and the twists and turns that Jane faced. Jane, while I didn't love her as a character, is very well developed and suited to her role and placement in the novel.
Would I Recommend Copy Boy by Shelley Blanton-Stroud? Readers and fans of historical fiction and women's fiction will certainly enjoy Copy Boy. I enjoyed following Jane's adventures--and watching the author weave in some realistic views of the value of truth and the risks of even well meaning deception. I would definitely recommend the book to fans of Depression era novels who enjoy strong female characters and a bit of suspense.
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Shelley Blanton-Stroud grew up in California’s Central Valley, the daughter of Dust Bowl immigrants who made good on their ambition to get out of the field. She teaches college writing in Northern California and consults with writers in the energy industry. She co-directs Stories on Stage Sacramento, where actors perform the stories of established and emerging authors, and serves on the advisory board of 916 Ink, an arts-based creative writing nonprofit for children. She has also served on the Writers’ Advisory Board for the Belize Writers’ Conference. Copy Boy is her first novel, and she’s currently working on her second. She also writes and publishes flash fiction and non-fiction, which you can find at such journals as Brevity and Cleaver. She and her husband live in Sacramento with an aging beagle and many photos of their out-of-state sons.
Thank you so much for reading #CopyBoy and for sharing your review! I'm glad you enjoyed the story:)
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