The Adventures of Flash Jackson by William Kowalski

Set in William Kowalski's signature town of Mannville, New York, The Adventures of Flash Jackson is the story of tomboyish Haley Bombauer and her ambition to bust out of the confines of her smalltown upbringing. With compassion and humor, the novel tells of her emergence into a world that, in her words, was not designed with girls in mind, and her efforts to find a way to fit in without having to give up her beloved independence. Introduced to a vivid and exciting imaginary life by her now-dead father, who bestowed upon her the nickname Flash Jackson, Haley Bombauer confronts the summer of her seventeenth year with glorious anticipation. She envisions herself roaming the surrounding hillsides and forests on her beloved horse, Brother, venturing farther and farther away from her sleepy hometown and her ultracautious mother, who since the death of her husband has remained rooted firmly in the past. But when Haley falls through the rotted roof of the barn, she is destined to spend the dog days of summer in a thigh-high cast, stuck at home with her mother, enduring visits from her spooky, unintelligible grandmother, pondering the error of her impulsive ways, and dreaming longingly of adventure. The year that follows will, in fact, transform not only her life but also the lives of those closest to her. Haley's imprisonment affords her peculiar grandmother the chance to see finally what the girl is made of-and to pass along some of the mysterious and mystical arts that only she remembers. As Haley comes to understand just who her grandmother is, and what the old woman can teach her, she is transformed-from a tomboy reluctant to accept her femininity to an extraordinary, powerful woman. Steeped in imagery and lyricism, touched with the wisp of magical realism that has become William Kowalski's trademark, The Adventures Of Flash Jackson is a poignant and hilarious tale of self-discovery and the redemptive powers of love. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly This amusing, slightly bizarre novel by Kowalski (Eddie's Bastard) puts a supernatural spin on a familiar coming-of-age story. Seventeen-year-old tomboy Haley Bombauer lives with her widowed mother in upstate New York. Though they look much like anyone else, the Bombauer women are actually witches-or at least, Haley's reclusive grandmother is. Her mother has given up the family tradition, and Haley herself never took an interest until she breaks her leg and has to spend a summer recuperating indoors. She becomes so bored that she starts messing around with spells. At the urging of her mother, she moves in with her strict, forbidding grandmother, who teaches Haley the healing arts and some other skills. Though Haley is at first resistant, she gradually comes to embrace her special powers. When the outside world threatens to interfere with this dubious education, the old woman and her cabin vanish into thin air. Haley continues to live in the woods on her own; she eventually makes a partial return to civilization as the town healer, but not before she has an unlikely adventure with drug smugglers and a wild sexual encounter with a neighbor boy. Her exploits as a feral woodswoman are implausible even by the loose standards of this book and make for some comically absurd lines (Note to self: When menstruating, bury used tampons very deep. Something has been digging them up lately. Something big). Yet Haley is a winning narrator whose dry sense of humor keeps the celebration of womanhood from getting too syrupy. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal Kowalski's new work is not so much a coming-of-age as a coming-of-gender story. On the eve of her 17th birthday, Haley Bombauer falls through the barn roof and breaks her leg-a singular occurrence that changes her life and sets us all on an unusual journey. Early on, tomboy Haley had invented a persona that seemed more true to her nature, stuntman Flash Jackson. Haley's father, her partner in her acts of derring-do, was killed in an explosion of one of his inventions, leaving her alone with her less-than-free-spirited mother. Haley's maternal grandmother lives alone in the woods and is well known as a LEGITHATA (ladies extremely gifted in the healing and telepathic arts). With her leg in a cast, Haley goes to live in the woods to find out about Grandma's healing ways and learns more than she expected to about the beauty and community of nature, its creatures, and her place in the world. Haley is 24 as she narrates this story, but as readers we always feel that it is indeed a teenager-grumpy, ornery, and foul-mouthed-who is leading us through our paces. Somewhat fragmented overall and especially slow going in the woods section until Haley's final revelations, this book is not as compelling as Kowalski's first novel, Eddie's Bastard. Still, it is a solid purchase for public libraries. Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. About the Author William Kowalski is the author of Eddie's Bastard, Somewhere South of Here, and The Adventures of Flash Jackson. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1970 and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania. He lives in Nova Scotia with his wife and daughter. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review An appealing and original story. (Kirkus Reviews) A coming-of-gender story. (Library Journal) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Booklist Haley Bombauer, otherwise known as Flash Jackson, resident of the rural outpost of Mannville, New York, recounts the story of her seventeenth year. After falling through the barn roof and breaking her leg in three places, the delightfully eccentric tomboy faces a summer of pain and boredom. Soon Haley begins to realize that she possesses the same type of mystical--and often misunderstood--abilities as her grandmother, a hermit renowned and reviled for her dual gifts of prophecy and healing. When her schizophrenic neighbor and one true friend dies tragically, she decides to stay with her grandmother in a primitive shed in the woods for a while. During her time at her grandmother's, Haley learns some painfully powerful lessons about life, independence, and womanhood. This poignant and entertaining coming-of-age novel resonates with homespun wit and truth. Margaret Flanagan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.