Hardscrabble Road - A Review
If there is a theme to HARDSCRABBLE ROAD by George Weinstein, it is that life is difficult, but you have to find a way to withstand the blows till the end.
The novel begins with the protagonist, seven-year-old Roger MacLeod, or Bud as everyone calls him, being punched in the face by his older brother, Chet. It is a bold way to begin a novel. Generally speaking, violence against children in narratives has become a taboo. George Weinstein definitely leapfrogs over this publishing guideline, as the level of violence enacted upon Bud by his father is quite visceral.
However, Bud keeps trudging forward no matter what is thrown at him. He not only has to deal with an abusive father and a slightly less abusive and unloving mother, Bud also has a stutter and a wine stained birthmark over half of his face. The hurdles he is forced to endure in the narrative are intense, and the tension on the page works perfectly in keeping readers glued to HARDSCRABBLE ROAD. As the novel’s events unfold, one cannot help but wonder if Bud is going to survive everything that is thrown at him to the bitter end. Life is almost as bad for him as it can get, but there are some bright spots that keep him on his feet.
His brothers and sister do love him. Despite the novel opening on his older brother and him fighting, the kids are a loyal group of siblings that will do anything for each other. When Bud is bullied in his first year at school, his brothers rally around him and make the bully and his brother pay. There is also a girl in Bud’s class, Cecilia, who treats him kindly despite his stutter and birthmark. And finally, there is Ry, a half white, half Japanese new student from Texas who befriends Bud. Ry is one of the most intriguing characters in the book. George Weinstein is very smart to limit how much page time the character gets, making readers desperate to see more of Ry and Bud’s interactions.
HARDSCRABBLE ROAD may not be a book for the squeamish because of the amount of abuse heaped upon a child, but it is a great read with numerous memorable scenes. It is a book that takes a hard, unforgiving look at life. It does not try to sugarcoat hardships, it is not going for happy endings no matter how much a reader may want one. The narrative states simply that life is a battle, a prolonged fight, and you are lucky to have a few really great moments between the blows as you struggle to forge your way to the person you are meant to become.
