Boys In Exile - by Richard Duggin (Paperback)

About the Book

Boys In Exile is the story of an adolescent boy's coming of age in an era of bullying and exclusion.

Book Synopsis

--Grand Prize Winner, BookLife/Publishers Weekly 2022 Fiction Contest

BOYS IN EXILE is the story of ten pre-adolescent boys housed together for eight weeks in Timber Wolf cabin at Camp Hemlock to "make new friends and learn life-long social skills." Physically weak and slight in stature, Elliott "Squeaker" Streett brings to camp his fear of bullies and his lack of confidence in his ability to protect himself from harm. Elliott's efforts to win the approval of the toughest boy in Wolf Cabin only results in humiliation and betrayal, until the erosion of his moral compass contributes to a tragedy for the one boy whose friendship and moral strength he had come to admire.

Review Quotes

"A haunting coming-of-age journey through the volatility of adolescence. Overflowing with intensity and subtle power, Boys In Exile is an epic coming-of-age treat that evokes the broken innocence of childhood while illuminating the push and pull of adolescence. Embedded in the backdrop of post-World War II America, it is an explosive story of inner turmoil and finding one's place in the world. Duggin's profound metaphors cast light on the novel's deeper themes while stirring up nostalgia and a haunting wistfulness rich with hidden meaning and humming with tension.

Duggin is a masterful storyteller. He sets a flawless stage, and readers will be swept into his dynamic renderings and find themselves lost in reflection throughout the book. He brings his story full-circle to a powerful ending that will weigh heavily with readers and consume them long after the book is finished." - BookLife Prize - 2022

"This book stayed with me for weeks after I read it. It really brought me into the world of pre-teen boys back in 1955, which is remarkable since I'm the furthest thing from a pre-teen white boy (lol). And that climax had me hanging on to every word. My jaw dropped and my heart was in my stomach." - Lyn Liao Butler