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 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.
Winner of Suspense Magazine’s Crimson Scribe Award.
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You will love the life of Sam Hell! Told with wit, charm and humor. The story follows Sam’s unusual life from his Catholic childhood through adulthood. Be prepared to weep. Be prepared to laugh out loud.
Today I finished this book and I feel as if I have seen Sam Hill live his whole life. Dugoni weaves a story of faith through the tapestry of the life of red-eyed boy, Sam Hill. This is Dugoni as I have not read him before. His writing is eloquent and poignant yet infused with joy. It’s as if Dugoni has opened his chest to reveal his heart to the reader. I have enjoyed Tracy Crosswhite, she could be my friend. But Sam Hill is my brother, my father, my son, and my husband.
I don’t need to restate what Amazon can tell you about the plot of this book. You need to know why you should read this book. This book is a journey to acceptance and realization that the ordinary in life can be quite extraordinary and the ugly can be beautiful. This is the story of how encouragement, hope, and belief shape our lives in extraordinary ways and how discouragement, despair, and doubt can destroy. You will not walk away from this book untouched. You will see yourself in Sam’s vulnerability and be inspired by his strength and honesty. You will love his mom seeing your own mom in her or seeing the mom you always wish you had had or the mom you want to be.
It is an easy read. The characters are three dimensional, believable, and relatable. The pace is good and the laughter and tears well balanced. Seriously, you have no excuse to not read this book.
Word of advice: don’t allow yourself to be put-off by the Catholic perspective of this story. (If you are Catholic don’t prejudge the point of the story by some poor representations of Catholicism.) Rather, see in it a sincerity to faith in something greater than one’s self. This kind of faith causes us to look outside of ourselves and our own existence to the world and the people around us. It is a faith that says, ‘I am not the center of the universe, but I have a place in the universe.’ It is a faith that always hopes, always trusts, and always believes. This faith does not give up.
“The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell” is an extraordinary book. Dugoni’s sweet masterpiece is worthy to sit on the shelf next to John Irving’s “A Prayer for Owen Meany.”
I loved this book, it was a fast read and every time I had to put it down to do something else I was quick to get back to reading. Sam’s challenges in life were offset by his idyllic family life. I often wonder what life would be like and how our civilization would be if all children were treated with this discipline and respect by their parents.
I could not put this book down.
From beginning to end; a fabulous book!!!
Fell in love with Sam and his mother.
This is the story of Sam Hill, born with an ocular albinism, in plain terms red eyes. He is known as devil boy to his classmates. It is a coming of age story and the hard lessons Sam learns while his parents try to teach him to keep the faith, and that this is God’s Will for his extraordinary life.
I enjoyed this novel very much, both reading and listening to the narrator (excellent!). After finishing Ordinary Grace, this was just the story I needed. I laughed and cried watching Sam grow into a man who finds his faith in God and leads a very happy fulfilling life.
“There comes a day in every man’s life when he stops looking forward and starts looking back”
Each of us has the ability to make our lives extraordinary.
I love all his books
I read the first chapter of this book and I knew I was not going to put it down until the last page. The characters were so real and the subject so different that I had to see if it was maintained or if it died out as many promising books do. Sam Hell kept me interested always- did not want it to end! Wish I could find more like this.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is one of my favorite books of all time. This is an aspiring story about a boy who becomes a man and his struggles to overcome a birth defect that makes him different from everyone. His parents, especially his mom and a special friend, help him maneuver the ups and down of his life. It is a real page turner. I highly recommend.
I know what attending a Catholic school and being “different” mean. I understand befriending “other misfits” and surviving bullies. I saw many parallels between Sam’s life and mine.
Until the Lourdes chapter, I loved this book. The pilgrimage was a little too over the edge for me, although my paternal grandmother did visit the grotto. If the author hadn’t included that part, I would have given it five stars.
I am speechless! How can I write a review on what I consider to be one of the top five books that that I have ever read? I am an avid reader and I had never heard of this author, or this book, until I started noticing people mentioning and recommending it on the numerous book lover sites that I belong to on social media. Nobody ever really said what it was about, just that it was one of their all-time favorites. I checked it out and was shocked when I saw how many reviews it had and how many were 5 stars, so I bought it. What a masterpiece this book is and I wonder how I missed it.
Sam Hill was born with ocular albinism which made his pupils red and he was to begin kindergarten in a Catholic school. The kids shunned him and nicknamed him Devil Boy and changed his name to Sam Hell. A Black boy from Detroit, Ernie, started school and nobody wanted anything to do with him because of his color; Ernie and Sam became best friends. About the same time, a new girl also joined their class because she was expelled from public school and they became friends with her. Her name was Michaela Kennedy but was called Mickie, and she was kind of a misfit too.
The story is told in a then and now format with the school years and growing up alternating with Sam’s life as an adult. I laughed and I cried when I read this book and I experienced so many different emotions while reading this. I only wish I could give it more than 5 stars.
I would like to thank Amazon Publishing France and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.
We find Sam Hill who was born with red eyes, often nicknamed “the son of the devil” or “Sam Hell” by his schoolmates. As for his mother, she blames this ocular albinism on God. Encouraged by his two friends, Sam continues his little way.
Forty years later, Sam is an ophthalmologist and he no longer believes that there is a purpose in all this. Running away from his past is useless. Now his eyes are wide open, he will become aware of what has really changed, formed by going through his deepest fears and finally understand what really matters to him.
A book read in an afternoon so much I love the pen of the author, this book changes from the series “Tracy Crosswhite”. I was immediately hooked on the story, which is so moving in certain passages, captivating, gripping, addictive, full of intrigue, suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters.
Sam Hill lives a hard-earned life. Born ‘different’ Sam was supported by his mother’s devout faith, his father’s wisdom, and his two best friends.
It’s been a very long time since a book made me cry like this book did.
This book is for everyone. Laughter, tears and realizing you have experienced these emotions and relationships.
Love coming of age novels
Highly recommend!
This book has been showing on my KindleUnlimited suggestions for a very long time and I added it to my wish list on my TBR and I kept delaying to pick it up and now I’m completely speechless why did I wait so much? I’m completely clueless but I’m glad I did end this year with a book such as The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell.
it was a book that completely grabbed me and took me to every single moment and scenario Sam was going through, it was sad, and at moments hard to see how good and noble he was even when life and circumstances were never that way with him. he was always trying to find the goodness in people, but people kept bulling him and segregate him because of their ignorance.
The Extraordinary life of sam hell teaches you to be compassionate, to not criticize and judge people by its cover because some of those people will teach you and bring you so much into your life and you’re not giving it a chance.
Sam was born with a very rare condition, his family especially his mother didn’t care and always support him in a way that even I wish to had a mother like that, she was always protecting him but never in an invalidating way more like to impulse him and make him stronger, his best friends Ernie and Mickie Kennedy were amazing, I really love them so much how they were so special for each other and how their friendship really brought so much to the three of them. I really believe Ernie and Mickie were a very solid rock for Sam growth and life as well as Sam for them
The life of Sam back and forwards to the present and the past, where we meet the characters and the story of Sam and we get to understand many things like Davids’s anger and constant bullying to Sam and his own family, what he did to his daughter was completely terrible. Sister Beatrice was another character in Sams’s life who was very hard with him and at times we really didn’t like her, but also we met so many great characters that were stronger and trustful to keep Sam safe from the terrible ignorance of many.
many great things to say about this story, I really love it, it is a very long book but I really didn’t felt it on the contrary I wish it will keep going so I could keep listening to these amazing characters.
Robert, we need more books like The Extraordinary Life Of Sam.
What a unique read! How could you not fall in love with Sam, Ernie, & Mickie? Even Sam’s mother and father and the evil Sister Beatrice pull at the heartstrings. Robert Dugoni has a real talent for developing loveable characters. Thank you for this book – it was an awful moment when it ended!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. I always love a dual timeline, and this provided the extra bonus of a main character with interesting challenges. I was truly rooting for Sam in this book, but had hoped he had overcome his childhood challenges by the time he grew up. More complex, but related problems arose as he reached adulthood. The characters were wonderfully developed and I would definitely recommend this book.