“The One-in-a-Million Boy” by Monica Wood; Houghton Mifflin; April 2016; $25.00; 336 pp.
Author Monica Wood states on her website that her fiction is not autobiographical “except that the theme of family infuses my work, as it does my life.” Her new novel, “The One-in-a-Million Boy,” is a quirky but beautifully told tale about a fragmented family and a 104-year-old woman.
Ona Vitkus, the elderly but very wily woman, still lives by herself and has a member of the local Boy Scout troop come once a week to help her with chores. An 11-year-old boy, whose name is never disclosed in the book, has just started as Ona’s helper. He is a strange, lonely, observant boy, obsessed with Guinness World Records and lists with 10 items.
Ona takes an immediate liking to him; he is a good worker; willing, persistent and very polite. Other boys who have come to help have been sent packing after the first day, but Ona and this boy become fast friends. Their conversations are quite delightful as Ona tells her life story to the boy, who is a good listener and gentle being. After four Saturdays, though, the boy suddenly dies. (Readers aren’t surprised by this; the inside jacket of the book reveals this information.)
Quinn Porter, the boy’s father, has been an absent parent for most of his son’s life. He is a professional guitar player and has spent much of the past 11 years on the road, playing in various gigs. He has never been comfortable around his son. After his son dies, Quinn, feeling tremendously guilty for his poor showing as a father, decides to finish what his late son started: doing yard work for Ona for the next seven Saturdays, which will complete the requirements to earn the Boy Scout badge.
Despite himself, Quinn becomes friends with Ona, and discovers that his son had encouraged Ona to try to become the oldest licensed driver in the Guinness World Records. He develops a friendship with Ona while helping her with her house and yard. Soon, Belle, the boy’s mother and Quinn’s twice ex-wife, gets involved with helping Ona, too. Ona, a Lithuanian immigrant, is quite independent and outspoken, and has kept some family secrets of her own. Together, she and Quinn reflect on different aspects of their families and things they could have done differently in their lives.
This book about friendship is a beautiful example of rich storytelling. It is a poignant, heartwarming narrative with a beautiful, meaningful ending.
Ann Jonas is the general book buyer for the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University.