BOY AT THE CROSSROADS

In Ford’s novel, a young car thief in the 1950s runs away from home to find himself.

Conley Ford, called “Connie” by his family, grows up in Knoxville, Tennessee,in a clan of 16 kids, with him being the 15th. With so many of his older siblings living outside the family home and only visiting to tell tales of their lives away from it, it’s no wonder that 13-year-old Conley dreamed of doing more than going to school and doing chores. First, he gets mixed up in the “Mercury Gang,” a group of teenage boys that steal Mercury cars and take them for joyrides. After Conley is caught, his brother Ray, a lawyer, manages to get him just a year of probation. But Conley realizes that if he goes back to school, everyone will see him as a criminal and outcast. He decides to run away and hitchhike south, heading to Atlanta and telling people tales along the way about an uncle who needs his help. He dreams of drinking orange juice in Florida and eventually makes it to the Sunshine State, only to continue to New Orleans; this is only the start of Conley’s adventures, which eventually lead him to a happy and successful life. Over the course of the novel, Ford fictionalizes her husband’s story, presenting a vivid tale of a young man who leaves home to find who he truly is and where he belongs. The author goes on numerous tangents in an effort to provide backstories for various characters, and as a result, Conley’s story gets lost in the shuffle here and there. However, Ford always comes back to him and tightens the focus on where he’s headed next. The tale also offers vivid, immersive descriptions of such things as Conley’s finally getting to drink a half gallon of OJ. Overall, it’s a fast-paced read that is appropriate for young adults, though older adults may feel more of a connection to the setting.

A colorful and easygoing coming-of-age story.