“An accomplished debut novel with intriguing characters and vibrant dialogue, The Island of Worthy Boys takes readers on a fascinating journey through the streets of late-nineteenth-century Boston and into the little-known world of Thompson Island’s Boston Farm School for Indigent Boys. With sparkling descriptions and a well-paced plot, this book will captivate both fans of Boston history and lovers of historical fiction.”
– Kristen Harnisch, author of The Vintner’s Daughter
In 1889, the Boston Farm School didn’t accept boys with any sort of criminal record. Which made it the perfect hiding place for two boys who accidentally killed someone.
Orphaned in 1889 Boston at age ten, Charles has survived alone on the streets for years, rolling drunks and sleeping in alleys. He’s convinced himself he doesn’t need anyone. But when his old schoolmate Aidan shows up asking to be cut in, they team up to rob drunken sailors whenever the whores don’t get there first. Life is pretty grand, until a routine robbery takes a murderous turn, and they have to skip town before they’re cuffed and thrown in the back of the paddy wagon.
With the help of a prostitute that owes Charles a favor, the boys pose as virtuous Protestant brothers and con their way into an island school in Boston Harbor that only admits the “worthy poor”. Superintendent Bradley is obsessed with keeping the bad element out of his school, so the boys need to keep their story straight. But their friendship splinters when Aidan’s assimilation with the other boys leaves Charles out in the cold. When another boy sniffs out the Irish Catholic in Aidan, and Boston’s Finest arrive on the island, the boys must decide: do they face the threat of jail together, or risk being split up forever?
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AWARDS
PRAISE
“Connie Hertzberg Mayo has written a wonderful novel about the tensions and rewards of friendship, in all its guises. With her two fascinating protagonists, Charles and Aidan, and her portrait of the extraordinary real-life figure Charles Bradley, head of the Boston Farm School, Mayo has called up a vivid world of delinquents, school life, adventure in the streets, and unexpected mercy in a harsh world. Her book is an engrossing and exciting tale of late-nineteenth-century New England – a marvelous addition to Bostonian literature.”
– Ursula DeYoung, author of Shorecliff
“An accomplished debut novel with intriguing characters and vibrant dialogue, The Island of Worthy Boys takes readers on a fascinating journey through the streets of late-nineteenth-century Boston and into the little-known world of Thompson Island’s Farm School for Indigent Boys. With sparkling descriptions and a well-paced plot, Mayo tells the tale of Charles Wheeler and Aidan Sullivan – two boys on the run – and their escape to the farm school, where secrets abound and the boys’ friendship endures the ultimate test. The Island of Worthy Boys will captivate both fans of Boston history and lovers of historical fiction.”
– Kristen Harnisch, author of The Vintner’s Daughter
“Mayo transports us to nineteenth-century Boston, giving us the street level cacophony of street markets and teeming crowds in a way that offers a refreshing perspective on a beloved urban geography.”
– Tim Weed, author of Will Poole’s Island
“The Island of Worthy Boys is the story of a friendship between Charles Wheeler and Aidan Sullivan. Bound by a terrible secret, the boys escape to the Boston Farm School on Thompson Island. Mayo renders a historically rich tale that will not only capture readers of historical fiction, but a wider audience for its humanity, compassion, and spirited prose style.”
– Sarah Anne Johnson, author of The Lightkeeper’s Wife
“A poignant and moving tale of two boys who fall on hard times in nineteenth century Boston. Hunger and desperation help to forge a bond between the two that is nearly indestructible. However, when the unthinkable happens they go into hiding, living in constant fear that the ghosts of their past will return to exact revenge and seek justice. A thoughtful and enlightening story filled with historical appeal and an ending that is both unexpected and satisfying.”
– Tamar Ossowski, author of Left
“Connie Mayo’s fast-paced novel, The Island of Worthy Boys, transports you to the pungent gritty streets of nineteenth-century Boston where two unlikely delinquent heroes lurk. Fair warning: they will steal your heart. Mayo’s dramatic flair, psychological insight, and mastery of nineteenth-century Boston make for a remarkable debut novel that reads like the work of a seasoned pro. Unforgettable.”
– Katherine Keenum, author of Where the Light Falls
“Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. Set in gritty 19th century Boston, Connie Mayo tells a story of have-nots trying to navigate a world of violence, prejudice, disease, and bleak prospects. Through a series of misfortunes and lies, two young boys – a thief and his lookout – wind up in the care of a man who can change their fate, for better or for worse. An extraordinary tale of tested friendships and tested hearts. A great gamble of believing in the value of those society has forsaken. A story of the past that is just as relevant today.”
– Susan Henderson, author of Up from the Blue
“From the first pages of Connie Mayo’s The Island of Worthy Boys, I found myself caught up in unlikely friendship between Charles Wheeler and Aidan Sullivan, the first a street-wise ruffian, the second a thoughtful, desperate boy, and the things they must do in order to survive. The book is rich with historical details, and the promise of trouble keeps the pages turning. It’s full of heart, too.”
– Michelle Hoover, author of The Quickening and Bottomland