The Toothache Tree

Hamilton Caine's parents find his kidnapping more of an annoyance than a cause for concern, and young Hamilton finds a surprising closeness with his half-hearted kidnapper

YA-- Kidnapped from his select Houston prep school, 15-year-old Hamilton Caine, Jr. assumes that death or mutilation are close at hand. Just the opposite happens. His captor, Bill, who takes him to a trailer hideaway in the east Texas woods of the Big Thicket, turns out to be a man whom Ham admires, a man who teaches him how to build a fire, skin a squirrel, and hunt for deer. Because Ham's parents are away on a cruise, their time together is prolonged. The camaraderie between the boy and the man grows, meeting Ham's long unmet need for fatherly friendship and involvement. Like that barb of the toothache tree, which Indian legend says has the power to make two souls live together as one, their connection pierces deeply. Filled with action, including a dramatic flood scene in which the two are separated and another in which Ham's life is threatened by a snake bite, this novel delivers an old-fashioned wallop of adventure and suspense. Even more crucial to the novel's success is the substantial emotional growth of its characters, strong testament of the bonds between men. A likely candidate for booktalks. --Keddy Outlaw, Harris County Public Library, Houston
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

With perceptiveness, grace and amiable humor, talented first novelist Galloway tells of the unlikely camaraderie that develops between a kidnapper and his wealthy, teenaged captive. Hamilton Caine, head of a huge Texas utilities corporation, and his wife belong to Houston's elite, and they are conceited, condescending and repugnantly self-involved. Their son, Ham Jr., gets everything he wants except parental attention; his surprising savior turns out to be Bill, a disgruntled, financially pressed former pilot for Ham Sr.'s company. To solve his money troubles Bill abducts the boy, holds him hostage in the East Texas woods and demands $200,000 in ransom. Enforced proximity and mutual loneliness swiftly draw the two together as Ham discovers the thrill of a fatherly companion--but an approaching hurricane, a dogged FBI investigation and the passage of time threaten to destroy their happiness. The author presents Ham and Bill's relationship so heart - warmingly that a rather pedestrian tale becomes virtually irresistible. Readers Digest Condensed Book Club selection.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Son of a Houston millionaire, Hamilton Caine Jr., a nice enough kid, attends a prestigious prep school and dreams of turning 16 so he can get a driver's license and dump the family chauffeur. As luck would have it, Ham is kidnapped by a bogus chauffeur and hauled off to the wilds of East Texas. The bulk of this first novel concerns the many manly adventures of Ham and his good-old-boy kidnapper, who unsurprisingly proves to be more of a father to Ham than his rich daddy has ever been. Despite a good sense of geographic place and much sincerity on the author's part, this coming-of-age tale lacks the necessary spark to overcome the obviousness of its plot and characterizations. Readers Digest Condensed Book Club selection.
- James B. Hemesath, Adams State Coll. Lib., Alamosa, Col .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.