The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

A Novel

By: Robert Dugoni

Narrated by: Robert Dugoni

Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s coming-of-age story is, according to Booklist, “a novel that, if it doesn’t cross entirely over into John Irving territory, certainly nestles in close to the border.”

Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” or Sam “Hell” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends.

Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God’s idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls.

Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design - especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open - bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.

©2018 by LaMesa Fiction LLC. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Author Robert Dugoni narrates Sam's life journey in an earnest and steadfast voice. Hearing the story through the author's own voice lends it an intimacy that enhances it wonderfully. Sam's life is filled with love, loss, tragedy, comedy, and everything in between. Sounding mature and dark at times, Dugoni artfully breathes life into every scene of a story about living life on the right terms regardless of its ups and downs." (AudioFile)

One of the best books I have read in years!

I thoroughly enjoyed each and every line. It made me laugh, cry and I did not want the book to end.

A book about growing up different.

One of my favorite books of all time. I couldn't stop listening. it is a book about life, love and faith in God.

First 5 star review!

This is the first book I have ever read to get a 5 star review. It took me to places and people I felt I really knew. Thank you Robert Dugoni!

A beautiful and moving story

I recently shared this book with a friend and my only words to her were "This enraptured me completely and I miss the characters now that the book is over." She messaged me today to say she's half way through it and loving every second of it.

This book is beautiful. The characters are deep and meaningful. Their imperfections are understandable and endearing. The author meters out he story as a memoir and manages to not still build momentum. I disagree with another reviewer that criticized the episodic nature of the story as I felt like it was a natural telling for a memoir. The character development is exceptional. The friendship the story hinges on are relatable. The choices the characters make are understandable and inspire compassion. I could see my own struggles with faith in my life in Sam's story. I could see reflections of my own regrets in his account.

But most of all, it's just great story telling.

Buy it. It's moving. It's lovely. It will ignite your memories of your own childhood and adolescence and growing up. It is enrapturing.

unique and original coming-of-age story

Robert Dugoni's story is sweet, endearing, heartwarming. He created a boy for whom I had empathy and a mother who made me glad to be a mama bear who roars, similar to her. One of my children fought against a lot of bullying in his life and there were many doors that had to be knocked down in order to protect him -- some of those were for the administration of his school just as they were in this story. This book felt familiar and nostalgic, I enjoyed it very much.

Our young boy, Sam Hill was born in 1957 with ocular albinism which left him with red eyes. His mother was a devout Catholic, a guiding force in his life, and a powerful advocate and ally for him. She has a strong conviction that his life will be extraordinary and does everything she can to help him believe the same, as well as to pave the road ahead of him. Unfortunately there is a lot of road to be broken. The view of pretty much everyone else -- including his classmates and his teachers -- is that he is someone to be ignored at best, bullied and harassed at worst. They refer to him as "Devil Boy."

Luckily for Sam a boy named Ernie Cantwell and a girl named Mickie Kennedy arrive at the school. Ernie is the only African American kid in school, and he helps Sam to believe in himself. Ernie and Sam become friends and confidants. They help each other deal with the prejudices that are such prevalent parts of their lives. Mickie is tough, sassy and loyal. Together the three friends find that they are all they need and that together life is fun.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is a nuanced story of Sam's life from birth into adulthood. We watch him maneuver through adolescence with the loyalty and love of his friends and parents, we watch him fall in love -- knowing it before he does, and grieve his parents. We see him put walls up and hold people at a distance which almost causes him to lose the love of his life.
And ultimately we see him learn from his struggles. In the end Sam's mother was right, Sam leads an extraordinary life. But what I loved and that she didn't know is that she did as well.

I really enjoyed this book. Sam is a rich, real, flawed character who finds strength and faith in his loved ones at the moments he most needs it. His friends are loyal and likable. His parents are loving. The book is full of sweet moments, humor, and characters you will cheer for.

One of my favorite books of all time is John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany. This one doesn't reach the heights of that one, but it reminded me of it anyway. Owen and Sam have some similarities and the books made me laugh aloud and cry softly. Irving's book is a bit more polished and the themes are discussed more deeply, but Dugoni is a fresh voice for me and I will be on the lookout for his future writings.

Must Read

Such a wonderful book! I highly recommend.
A look forward and back. You won’t want to stop.

Pleasant

This was a pleasant read. The authors narration was fine. The story was good enough to keep me interested although a little lackluster. I kept waiting for the “extraordinary” to happen. It didn’t. It was just life.

Delightful Story

This is the first book I’ve read of Mr. Dugoni, but will not be my last. Finding this story was like finding a treasure that I did not know I was looking for.
The writing was very well done, the dialogue realistic, and the characters believable. I found the alternating time periods cleverly constructed, funneling the life events to what I thought was a satisfactory conclusion.
I found the storyline similar to those of John Irving, extraordinary things happening to real people. These life events can be like forks in the road, where one’s decisions will direct their life path for the journey.
Having the author narrate his own story through Audible does allow the author to control how the dialogue sounds in his head. There is a purity in that. But havingProfessional narrators does enhance the drama. Having said this, the author does a much better job than some narrators I’ve heard in Audible.
If you’re looking for something special to read, give this a try.

Great story... Very good narration

He was way better than some of the narrators' of his other books. I was surprised how easy and consistent the author's own voice proved to be.

A journey through adversity

I really enjoyed this book. It does dabble a lot with the Catholic religion, questioning faith, and challenging our beliefs. I think it comes together well at the end, and it is a reality that many of us probably face today. The idea that through our hardships and troubles, each of our lives are extraordinary. The story is very enjoyable.