Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon
"Boy's Life" is a novel by Robert R. McCammon that diverges from his typical horror themes, presenting a rich tapestry of life in Zephyr, Alabama, during the mid-1960s. The narrative unfolds through a series of incidents experienced by the protagonist, Cory Mackenson, as he navigates childhood adventures and the complexities of his small-town environment. The story begins with a haunting encounter involving a drowned man, which profoundly affects Cory and his father. As the plot progresses, various elements of local culture, including African American rituals and community dynamics, are explored, contrasting the innocence of childhood with darker societal themes.
Throughout the novel, Cory and his friends embark on imaginative escapades, face bullies, and confront the realities of growing up. The narrative culminates in a resolution of the murder mystery, revealing connections to a neo-Nazi organization and exploring themes of racial tension and community resilience. In a reflective epilogue, Cory returns to Zephyr decades later, confronting the loss of childhood magic as he observes the changes in his hometown. "Boy's Life" ultimately combines elements of nostalgia, adventure, and cultural reflection, making it a compelling exploration of youth and the complexities of life in a small American town.
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Boy's Life
First published: 1991
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—high fantasy
Time of work: Primarily 1964, with a flashforward to 1991 at the novel’s end
Locale: Zephyr, Alabama
The Plot
Boy’s Life is unlike Robert R. McCammon’s other novels and is a marked departure from his usual style, focused more on horror. The plot of Boy’s Life is more a series of incidents weaved into a tapestry of the variety of lifestyles in Zephyr, Alabama, and the Bruton section of town, where African Americans reside, during the mid-1960’s.
In part 1, “The Shades of Spring,” the story opens on a cold spring morning as Cory Mackenson accompanies his father on his milk delivery route. Father and son see a car plunge into a lake the locals say is bottomless. Cory’s father dives into the icy waters in a desperate but futile attempt to save the drowning man. Cory’s father comes face to face with the drowned man. The image haunts Cory’s father throughout the novel: a murdered man, naked and beaten, a tattoo on his body, his hands cuffed to the steering wheel, a copper wire knotted around his neck. Near the scene, Cory finds a green feather, a clue he thinks will figure prominently in solving the murder, but one he keeps a secret, hidden from the rest of the world in a cigar box.
About the same time, the African American members of an adjacent area of the community called Bruton engage in a ritual to feed Old Moses, a serpent who swims in the belly of the Tecumseh River, from the gargoyle bridge. The serpent apparently is not pleased with his food, because he does not smack on the bridge’s support with his tail as he usually does when fed by an ancient African American “conjure woman” the locals call The Lady. She is married to a man of color whose face is pigmented on only one side, earning him the nickname of The Moon Man.
Odd events occur in the town. Wasps swarm through the local church one Sunday during services while the preacher denounces rock and roll music. Two bullies, Gotha and Gordo Branlin, terrorize Cory, and he is spooked by “The Demon,” Brenda Sutley. Finally, hard, steady rains come to Zephyr. The levee breaks in Bruton. Cory, as he helps to shore up the faulty levee, rescues a black child from being devoured by Old Moses, who is slithering in and out of Bruton’s houses through the floodwater. The Lady rewards Cory’s heroic act with a bike to replace the one the Branlins destroyed.
Part 2 of the novel is titled “Summer of Devils and Angels.” In it, Cory and his best friends use their imaginations to take flight while riding their bikes on the day school ends. The boys also take a camping trip on which they come across the Blaylocks, who are bootleggers. Cory’s adolescent hormones are stirred by Chile Willow.
Part 3, “Burning Autumn,” brings Cory’s fascination with the green feather to the fore again. He is invited to dine with a rich eccentric, Vernon Moultry, who often walks the streets of Zephyr naked. This section ends with Cory and his friends attending a freak sideshow and beginning to lose their innocence.
Part 4, “Winter’s Cold Truth,” resolves the mystery of the murdered man. Cory’s father has his sanity restored with the help of The Lady and The Moon Man. An out-of-towner, the drowned man’s brother, identifies the man by means of his tattoo. The entire mystery is linked to a neo-Nazi organization and a former Nazi in Zephyr who appears to be a kind physician.
Part 5 is titled “Zephyr as It Is.” Cory returns to Zephyr in 1991, twenty-five years after he and his family moved away. In this short epilogue, Cory sees the town as it is. The childhood magic he thought he might find has disappeared.