 |
When a boring Sunday school teacher is asked by his teenage son why his friends called him "fearless" and a "hero" in the old yearbook he found, a conservative father is faced with telling his son about his exploits while he was still only a senior in high school. Hawk, as he was known back then, always wanted to be a little better known, a little more famous in school. When he is partnered with his best friend and two popular guys while working on a project, Hawk absently blurts out that he could steal the bust of Julius Caesar from the library right then, during class. When the guys act interested and feed his ego, Hawk quickly formulates a plan and puts it into motion. The escapade makes him extremely popular overnight, but the fear of getting caught and punished starts to bother Hawk. He needs to find a way out.
Buchholz's novella is written with clarity and purpose. His focus is on a single incident and the lesson he has learned as a father while revisiting his youth through the eyes of his child. This story is easily read in under an hour, and many will likely find that the experience reminds them of some of their own misadventures as youths. Some of the dialogue feels a little disingenuous to how these boys would have likely talked. There is also a little bit of a Happy Days feel to the entire escapade, which is likely to bring smiles of nostalgia to some faces. Most readers will likely find themselves entertained, and for those who are parents, a bit thoughtful about how far they have come compared to the children they used to be.