Wild Boy - Softcover

Jill Dawson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 034082297X ISBN 13: 9780340822975

Publisher: Sceptre, 2004

Synopsis

In 18th-century France, a child is captured in the forests near Aveyron where he seems to have been living wild for seven years. Now 12 years old, the Wild Boy is put on public display as a freak, and finally handed over to the ambitious, emotionally repressed Doctor Itard, who is charged with educating the boy, whom he names Victor, and trying to discover the secrets of his strange, secret life. But Victor soon becomes a pawn in the raging debate about nature vs nurture, and Itard's attempts to civilise him bear little fruit. Instead, Victor seems drawn to Mme Guerin, his motherly guardian - and to her vivacious daughter, Julie, who is herself falling for Itard as he struggles to understand both Victor and his own confused emotions. Giving a vivid sense of the Revolutionary period, the novel brings to life through the stories of three fascinating characters a mysterious case that resonates in the modern day preoccupation with autism.

About this title

About the Author

Jill Dawson is the author of Trick of the Light, Magpie, Fred and Edie, which was shortlisted for the Whitbread Novel Award and the Orange Prize, Wild Boy, Watch Me Disappear, which was longlisted for the Orange Prize, The Great Lover, a Richard and Judy Summer Read in 2009, Lucky Bunny and The Tell-Tale Heart. In addition she has edited six anthologies of short stories and poetry. Born in Durham, Jill Dawson grew up in Yorkshire. She has held many Fellowships, including the Creative Writing Fellowship at the University of East Anglia, where she taught on the MA in Creative Writing course. In 2006 she received an honorary doctorate in recognition of her work. She lives in the Fens with her husband, two sons and foster daughter.

Review

Excellent ... Dawson takes what is already a compelling tale and successfully fleshes it out into a convincing and highly moving book. * Michael Newton, Guardian * The damaged child's frantic little body and fragile heart are an insistent, vivid presence on every page of [Dawson's] fine novel ... Dawson's prose is graceful, her approach deeply intelligent and persuasive. * Hilary Mantel * Fascinating and deeply sympathetic ... Ingenious, well-crafted and carefully researched, this novel questions what makes us human and leaves one a little wiser for it. * David Shukman, Daily Mail * An accomplished novel, rich with ideas and vivid characters, which is, above all, a lucid and moving exploration of the nature of autism. * Laura Baggaley, Observer * Intriguing and deeply moving * Sunday Telegraph *

About this edition

• Publisher: Sceptre
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 034082297X
• ISBN 13: 9780340822975
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304