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    Being Henry David
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    Being Henry David
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    Being Henry David
    Ebook241 pages3 hours

    Being Henry David

    By Cal Armistead

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Winner of the 2014 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People

    Seventeen-year-old “Hank” has found himself at Penn Station in New York City with no memory of anything—who he is, where he came from, why he’s running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. And so he becomes Henry David—or “Hank”—and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of—Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Cal Armistead’s remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The only way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past to stop running and to find his way home.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlbert Whitman Company
    Release dateApr 16, 2013
    ISBN9781480419865
    Author

    Cal Armistead

    Cal Armistead is a musician, singer, voice actress and independent bookseller in Massachusetts. She lives in Concord with her husband. This is her first novel.

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    Reviews for Being Henry David

    3.5/5

    52 ratings14 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 4/5
      An engrossing mystery about a teenage boy who awakens in Penn Station in New York with complete amnesia and a copy of Thoreau's Walden in his possession. Calling himself "Hank," the protagonist encounters some interesting and colorful characters on his journey to piecing together his past and identity. Thoreau is not central to the story but the author weaves him and Walden into the story in clever, fun ways. An impressive, compelling debut novel.
    • 4/5
      Imagine waking up in an unfamiliar train station in an unfamiliar city. You can't remember anything prior to this moment - not your name, not how you got there, not what you look like even. The only possession you have is a book. In this case, Henry David Thoreau's Walden. You know you're running, but you don't why. When someone asks your name, you say Henry. When someone offers you the next step of your life, you take it. When someone calls you "Hank," that becomes your new name.The premise of this story is fantastic, and as a former English teacher, I loved seeing passages from Walden sprinkled throughout. With themes of identity and resiliency, it would be a great class novel for middle school or high school.At first I enjoyed the book but didn't feel particularly invested in Hank, possibly because I knew so little about him (not his fault - he didn't know either). I really liked all the people he encountered and was interested in how they each affected his next move. Once his memory started to come back and I knew more about his past, I was hooked. And yet I was still not prepared for the emotional wallop I received during the last 50 pages. The ending was rich with detail, suspense, and satisfaction.
    • 2/5
      I think this book had the potential to be way better than it was. The concept is intriguing and I stayed curious throughout to learn who "Henry David" was and what his memory loss was trying to protect him from. However, I never really cared about the main character that much. I guess it's hard to develop a character when you don't know anything about his past. I also felt that many of the other characters were unnecessary to the plot. This would be one I would probably recommend to a teen boy looking for something quick and easy.
    • 4/5
      This book was an emotional train ride. It left so much to the imagination, but it tied up enough loose ends. The ending was fitting to the novel, the storyline had just enough foreshadowing and depth, the characters were believable, and the novel itself was a good read.
    • 4/5
      exceptional unique
    • 5/5
      This had me hooked from the first line. It's so rare to find any Novel written from a makes perspective, and in truth those are my favorites. Hank was such a relatable character, even with his amnesia and stumbling about, he represents the youth of the world, stumbling through, lost and trying to find who they truly are and who they truly should be. I was very pleasantly surprised at how many times my emotions changed during this book. I would gladly recommend this to ANYONE.
    • 4/5
      Being Henry David by Cal Armistead is one of those stories I was deeply intrigued by, but hesitant to try as anything with the words “grievous memories” in the summary seems to indicate I will need tissues by the time the story is over. Well, I was right about the tissues, but I am so glad I didn’t let my fear of tears stop me!

      “Hank” is a young man who wakes up at Penn Station in New York City with no recollection of who he is and why he is in the city. All he has in his possession is the book "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau, from which he is able to remember random passages. Giving himself the name “Henry David” – Hank for short – he tries to discover why he is in the city and where he came from. But when things start to become dangerous, Hank decides to make his way to Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, in search of answers. There he will find friendship – and even the possibility of romance – but he is haunted by buried memories that, when they finally make themselves known, will rip his world apart all over again.

      One of the things I appreciated most about Being Henry David is that it is NOT a dark, wrenching read from beginning to end. It starts out with a dark tone, but once the story moves to Concord it is what I would call a “subdued happy” read until Hank’s memory returns. In Concord, he finds good people willing to help and who provide a feeling of normalcy as he comes to terms with his past. He even finds a very sweet girl named Hailey who makes him think of possibilities and gives him a purpose. I think this is what makes things so heartbreaking when Hank’s memories finally come front and center; it hurts to see the way “normal” can be ripped apart so easily. The tragedy he uncovers is believable and (after getting to know Hank) so is his reaction to it. And, yes, I cried – a lot – in sympathy.

      Something else I enjoyed is that Armistead doesn’t just end things with Hank’s memory returning. She takes things a step further by giving Hank an opportunity to help others and make one more significant journey before he is finally ready to go home. The pacing overall is just right throughout the book; nothing feels too fast or too slow, and time is given to development of the story and the characters. Very nice.

      Cal Armistead has a wonderful grasp of tone in her debut novel; the grittiness of New York City’s underbelly dominates the first few chapters, but as Hank moves from the city to Concord the story becomes gentler and has a more small-town feel. There is a nice contrast between the desperate street kids he encounters in New York and the more innocent ones of Concord, and I like the way both sides come together late in the story.

      Speaking of characters, they are all interesting and given little touches of personality so they feel distinctive. Hank is relatable and well-rounded; his worry and fear bleed through his character throughout, as does a tentative hope whenever he is around Hailey. As for Hailey she feels like a real teenager – sweet, brave, and determined not to let a medical condition brand her as “different.” I wasn’t sure what to think of Jack (one of the New York City street kids) when he first showed up, but by the end I was in his corner and hoping he could overcome his time on the streets with the help of his younger sister Nessa. I had no hesitation falling for Concord’s tattooed librarian/historian Thomas with his love of Thoreau and no-nonsense attitude, however. Hank finds a firm friend in Thomas, someone who provides support and encouragement as he tries to uncover the truth about his past.

      Being Henry David by Cal Armistead is a wonderful debut with a broken but relatable protagonist, interesting secondary characters, solid pacing, pitch-perfect tone and a heartbreaking tragedy at its heart. If you love realistic fiction, you’ll want to add Being Henry David to your bookshelf.
    • 4/5
      He wakes up in Penn Station in NYC with no idea who he is, where he came from, or why he’s here. All he has is a beat-up copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Dubbing himself “Hank,” he finds himself in trouble in the city and flees to the best lead he has to his old life: Concord, Massachusetts, the setting of Thoreau’s pond and cabin.

      Homeless and without much money, Hank finds help in a Thoreau interpreter (impersonator) who also happens to be a librarian in finding out his true identity and why he left his home. But flashes of the past make him wonder if he’s blocking it out for a reason.

      In this debut, local author Cal Armistead tells the story of a teen who is running from a past he can’t remember. Told from Hank’s perspective, we are brought from the dirty streets of NYC to the familiar (to us) town of Concord. I craved to know what happened to Hank as I flipped through the pages, wondering if he can ever go home or if he did something so terrible that he must stay under the radar forever.

      Though the romance aspect and some of the dialogue (both inner and outer) describing it seemed a little forced, this is a strong debut that, for me, was built on familiarity. I will definitely be getting this for the library when it comes out March 1, 2013.
    • 4/5
      With the exception of a few notable authors (hey John Green!), I've grown increasingly frustrated with YA fiction over the past few years. Instead of highlighting different themes with the same depth as adult literature, the genre is regularly filled with haphazardly tossed together series hoping to cash in on this year's hot setting.

      Now, I've always seen Henry David Thoreau as pretty hip, though I think I tend to be in the minority. Either way, he's probably not lighting fires in YA circles any time soon - but that's exactly what makes Cal Armistead's Being Henry David so refreshing. Rather than centering on a tale of mismatched love or some grand future, this is a story about finding yourself and forgiveness. The fact that it's told from a male perspective is even better, as it's much more difficult to find books that appeal to young male readers.

      This will be one that deserves a place on high school and classroom library shelves, I hope that it's seen through the hundreds of other YA releases this year.
    • 3/5
      A boy wakes up in Penn Station, remembering nothing. Near at hand is a copy of Walden, so for want of anything better he calls himself Henry David and starts a convoluted adventure to Concord, MA, to--he hopes--find some clues at Walden Pond. Gradually his memories return and we find out what got him to the place he's in.

      So, didn't love it. There's a line from the Mystery Science Theater gem Overdrawn at the Memory Bank when our hero is watching Casablanca, and someone remarks "Never show a part of a GOOD movie in your crappy movie!" or something to that effect, and that's often how I feel about books that try to make a whole story out of some other story. (See also: Michael Cunningham's Specimen Days.) This is another example. The Thoreau elements are reasonably well placed but I never got the impression that they shaped Hank's understanding of himself overmuch.

      I know teens who will eat this up. But it's not for me.
    • 4/5
      I never thought that I would get the chance to review this book but when I got it on NetGalley, I did a little happy dance on my side of the screen. The whole plot of the story caught my attention right away and I knew that I had to read this book one way or another. Now that I have read this book, I am happy to say that I should just trust my instincts. This book was great and I adore it. The beautiful characters brought to life an incredible plot. I am so excited to finally get the chance to review a book I've been wanting to read for awhile.Being Henry David by Cal Armistead is similar to a different story I read awhile ago in the sense that the main character lost their memory but everything else is completely different. I think the fact that it reminded me of another story I loved is the reason I first picked it up. The story begins in Penn Station with a boy who can't seem to remember who he is and the only things he understands are common knowledge like he was in the US or was speaking English. But there was something blocking out his memory and everything about his life is just beyond his reach. As he searches for who he is, he finds himself drawn into the wrong side of New York City and his only solace is the book he found by his side when he awoke; Walden by Henry David Thoreau. A chance escape leads him to where the story took place and maybe to the key to unlocking his past. But life isn't that simple and that is why this boy is about to find out.Henry David aka "Hank" is the name that our main character assumes after he wakes to find his identity forgotten. I admire his strength in the face of a strange city and a lost memory. If I were to awake in Penn Station like he did, I probably would've broken down in tears and been inconsolable when it came to the bleak future facing me. Yet Hank is determined to remember as well as live. He deals with each situation he faces with a ironic sense of humor and a glimmer of hope simmering just beneath the surface. He wants to remember his past, he wants to enjoy his future, and he wants to live his life. He wants to be happy. As he continues to search for himself, he finds himself falling for a girl who he can't even tell his real name because he can't even remember it. His new life in Concord is filled with lies and half truths but he discovers that he can find people to trust even in the darkest of places. I think before he lost his memory, he was a typical teenage guy and after he lost his memory, I think he became an extraordinary guy. I find him swoon worthy for the simple fact that he owns his mistakes and has strength to stand on his own.Jack and Nessa are the first two people that Hank really connects with in New York City. I like that he was able to find friends in even the darkest of hours in his life because even I'll admit that I wouldn't be feeling too social after that. Jack met him in the bathroom at Penn Station and a comradeship seemed to be struck between the two of them. In someways, I think that Hank was too trusting with him. But at the same time, I would think that he would need someone to help him survive in a strange city too. Nessa is introduced through Jack to him and she is described as being beautiful, even underneath all the filth. There is a small connection between both Hank and her but she isn't the love interest in this story. She is a sweet girl, caught up in her brother's life, and struggling to survive in a world where she has no stability.Now, Hailey is the love interest of this story. She isn't the typical type of beautiful based on how Hank describes her but I believe that is why he found her attractive in the first place. I find her character to be extremely real for me and she reminds me a lot of my best friend actually. Daring but shy, confident yet self-consious. Not to mention the fact that they share a similar health disability. When I read about her, all I wanted was for her to find happiness and love but I wanted her to find it with Hank. In my mind, I think she did. She and Hank deserve to have happiness, whether they are together or apart. I was shaky about whether or not I liked his family. I guess the same thing could be said for Hank as he continued to try to remember who they even were. In some ways I had hoped that his family wasn't alive anymore and that he was on the run from some horrible place. But most of the time, I wanted him to have a happy family and hope that maybe something horrible just happened on accident. But you'll have to see whether I was right on the first or second account and you'll just have to know that I am completely content with the outcome of his family. I hope you will be too. There is one person who is basically family to Hank during his memory loss and that is Thomas, the man he meets at Walden Pond when he first arrives at Concord. This man is everything that Hank needs in a mentor and he is his greatest support in every choice he makes. I think that if he hadn't met Thomas, his story would've turned out a lot differently than it did.
    • 4/5
      I have to admit, I was expecting something more along the lines of fun adventure story when I started reading. Not that there wasn't adventure, because there was, but I suppose I thought Being Henry David would be a bit fluffier.Being Henry David is a coming-of-age, adventure story written for boys. Even though it could appeal to girls, Armistead clearly didn't write a 'girly' boy (by that I mean another Edward or Jacob or any other male character in a book for girls). Armistead has created a character boys will understand. Hank thinks and acts like a typical guy. He's not obsessively in love with a girl, or waxing poetic at the sight of his love interest. That fact alone had me liking this book.There is a nice mix of adventure and literary fiction. Even if you're not familiar with Henry David Thoreau there is enough information about his life and work scattered throughout the novel that it is easy to see why Hank has connected with this long dead author.Being Henry David would be a great book for mid- to upper teens, particularly boys. There is some violence and drug use (or at least the reference to drug use), but nothing gratuitous.
    • 4/5
      Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.Being Henry David was everything I expected and more-- what I expected was a book about a boy with amnesia finding himself. I got that-- but I also got to read about some awesomely gritty teenagers with real problems and small solutions, which was like the epitome of cool.Speaking of which, Hank was a great believable character. He completely made the book, because I didn't have any problems believing that he didn't know who he was or where he'd been. I did kind of have issues with the beginning, though, because we kind of just get thrust into Hank's life with the scene where he wakes up and doesn't remember who he is. Don't get me wrong, it was a great way to start things, but it was kind of abrupt.But that didn't detract from my enjoyment of Being Henry David. I still enjoyed the mystery of Hank's identity, and I also really liked most of the secondary characters, like Jack, Nessa, and my favorite forever, Thomas. (Who's like thirty, but I don't care. He's awesomesauce.)I'm having a really hard time writing out my thoughts for this, but I hope that I'm getting at least some of my point across. I loved Being Henry David!! But I can't help but wonder if Hank was a little bit crazy...I mean, the boy has conversations with Thoreau. Who is long dead, which makes their convos a tad freaky deaky, but I'll not dwell on that.All in all, Being Henry David was a fabulous debut with an awesome premise, but I have reviewers block and am unable to get my point across today...sigh.
    • 4/5
      Being Henry David is a thrilling book that progresses at such a pace as to keep the reader interested. The amnesia plot could seem cliched, but instead, is fresh. The story of Walden and Thoreau is perhaps slightly overused, though presents an intriguing introduction to the classic. The ending is dissatisfying, but the rest of the book is so packed, it is only slightly disappointing. It has its foils, but for the most part is a read that teens will truly enjoy...and it may even make them turn to the classic, as well!