61 pages • 2 hours read
The Silent Boy
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Silent Boy (2003) is a young adult historical fiction novel written by Lois Lowry. Lowry is most famous for writing The Giver, which won the Newberry Medal in 1994. A series of photos inspired Lowry to write The Silent Boy, and these grainy, somber images appear throughout the book at the beginning of each chapter, firmly rooting the novel in the early 1900s. The photos help frame the novel as a series of recollections by Katy “Docky” Thatcher, who reflects on her childhood, particularly her friendship with a boy named Jacob Stoltz. Lowry is one of America’s most celebrated young adult fiction authors, and her approach to Katy’s coming of age is both entertaining and heartbreaking. The novel was adapted for the stage in 2008 by the ArtsPower National Touring Theatre.
Plot Summary
The novel opens in America in June 1987 with Docky, a great-grandmother who loves to tell stories. She is retired from a successful career as a doctor and reflects on her life. Each chapter begins with an antiquated photo that depicts the characters she describes.
Katy “Docky” Thatcher grows up in affluence. Her father is the town doctor, and he allows her to come with him on most of his patient visits.
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