Boy Underground

A Novel

By: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Narrated by: Dan Butler

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

During WWII, a teenage boy finds his voice, the courage of his convictions, and friends for life in an emotional and uplifting novel by the New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author.

1941. Steven Katz is the son of prosperous landowners in rural California. Although his parents don’t approve, he’s found true friends in Nick, Suki, and Ollie, sons of field workers. The group is inseparable. But Steven is in turmoil. He’s beginning to acknowledge that his feelings for Nick amount to more than friendship.

When the bombing of Pearl Harbor draws the US into World War II, Suki and his family are forced to leave their home for the internment camp at Manzanar. Ollie enlists in the army and ships out. And Nick must flee. Betrayed by his own father and accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he turns to Steven for help. Hiding Nick in a root cellar on his family’s farm, Steven acts as Nick’s protector and lifeline to the outside world.

As the war escalates, bonds deepen and the fear of being different falls away. But after Nick unexpectedly disappears one day, Steven’s life focus is to find him. On the way, Steven finds a place he belongs and a lesson about love that will last him his lifetime.

©2021 Catherine Ryan Hyde, Trustee, or Successor Trustee, of the Catherine Ryan Hyde Revocable Trust created under that certain declaration dated September 27, 1999. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Fans of Homer H. Hickham Jr.’s Rocket Boys, Andrew J. Graff’s Raft of Stars, and Hyde’s substantial backlist will savor this heart-opening and meticulously researched coming-of-age tale.”—Booklist

Excellent!!

Loved the narrator. Excellent book. Characters very realistic. I highly recommend this book by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Boys to Men/Japanese/Straight/Gay Small Town/WWII

America’s great shame: internment of US citizens of Japanese descent was intensely personal in rural California and Arizona, where thousands of agricultural workers and all generations of their families were crowded into remote concentration camps. Four boys, 14 - 16 years old in 1942 navigate their high school years against the terror, prejudice and ignorance of the adults who control their lives.

Sensitive and insightful.

Unexpected Pleasure

What an unexpected hidden gem. I just finished listening, and as I sit here marveling at just how moving this story is, all I can think to say is: don’t pass this one by. Such a beautiful story that will linger and enrich the more you reflect on it.

So good much better than I even anticipated.

Awesome book. better than I anticipated. the last 1/3 of the book contains many nuggets of wisdom. This book examine a part of our history. How some people experienced history differently than other. Its hard to Bricktown subsurface this book, but it has a solid story and I really enjoyed it!

Fantastic but Disappointed

I couldn't stop listening to this. It was amazingly told but a huge let down. Steven deserved so much more happiness than the last chapter. He sacrificed so much for Nick just to be dropped off at a gay bar with the, "hope we can be friends" speech. Would love to have seen Steven find some happiness in his youth instead of constant loneliness and heart break. Poor guy only got a kiss too.

Great in all levels!

Beautifully written and skilfully preformed (audio version). The pain of how things were before and during the war for all Japanese citizens. All of the intolerance that went in that era should be a reminder to us all.....be kind to one another. I really loved this story. One of the best audio books I have listened to, ever.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is a remarkable storyteller.

Boy Underground is an exquisitely written, uniquely American tale of friendship, love and coming of age with a backdrop of war and prejudice. Sadly, its themes and portrayals might be banned by recently passed laws from any public school library in present day Florida. But I’ll try to remember that the book banners have never been the good guys in history.

Poignant

This is a beautiful, hopeful, heartbreaking, thought-provoking story. The narration is superb! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and couldn't stop listening long into the night. Highly recommended!

Interesting and so enjoyable.

This book kept my interest the entire time. Liked being able to see things from a different perspective and feel what they felt. Good read.

Beautifully told story of friendship and growth

I enjoyed this story tremendously. The struggles were real. These boys went through so much but their friendship endured.