Downeyoshun: A Novel

By A. Young (Apprentice House Press, 2024)

Genre: Fiction – Coming of Age

Pages (Print): 380

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Setting & Stats

This coming–of–age tale is told from the point of view of Sally Osterhoff. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, it opens in summer 1955 and spans 25 years of Sally’s life. The final chapter rings down the curtain on summer 1980. In between we learn that Sally is a math whiz. She plans to be a mathematician, a teacher, and a carpenter. Swim in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. And find a place to call “home.”

That being said, Toots, the first thing ya oughtta know about Downeyoshun is what Downeyoshun (“down-ee-oh-shun”) means. It’s a Maryland thing. A contraction of “down to the ocean” or “down to Ocean City.” Like, “We’re going downeyoshun this summer.” (The other thing ya oughttta know is that we’re writing reviews on a borrowed computer for the time being. Which we like, can’t stand. But Mom’s is in the shop. So deal with it, okay?)

Key

That’s key. (The word meaning. Not the AWOL computer. Well. Maybe the computer, too. But anyway…) Because Sally lives for summers with her aunt and uncle in Ocean City. Or going “Downeyoshun.”

See how this works?

Another thing ya oughtta know about this book is that it’s populated with memorable characters who are so three-dimensional they practically stand up and walk. Chief among these are Sally, of course, her effervescent aunt and uncle in Ocean City, and her jerkwater Mother. Mother criticizes everything that moves. And everything that doesn’t. Mother specializes in being miserable. And likes to share. She’s about as warm as the Polar Ice Caps. Example: Mother carts all Sally’s Christmas gifts down to the Goodwill every year because – get this – Sally is “too old” for toys. Sally’s five. Mother also hisses a lot. Like a snake. Enough said.

Siberia & Spring

While Mother is as warm and balmy as Siberia, the Osterhoff’s next door neighbors, the Giamettis, are as warm and welcoming as a spring sunshine. So Mother wants nothing to do with them. She forbids Sally from playing with the Giametti girl, Marie. But Sally’s having none of it. She and Marie become fast friends and grow up as BFFs.

There’s a lot in these pages that will resonate with readers of a certain age – say, the older than dirt crowd. (Hi, Mom.) Like Bambi. Chicken pox. Swimming at the Y. The Wind in the Willows. Vanilla milkshakes. Fort McHenry. Sorella. Woolworth’s (some of us dinosaurs remember. Hi again, Mom). Thanksgivings and Christmases that’d do the Grinch proud. “Mother’s cold, quiet voice.” (She uses that a lot. Apparently Mother doesn’t have any other voice.) “Hold it up, Susie. I got words I wanna say to you.” Bambino. “Duck and cover” drills.” “New Math.” (Don’t get us started. Ugh!) Kennedy and Khruschev. Walter “that’s the way it is” Cronkite. Vietnam. “Her family and I do!” And when a former classmate comes home from Vietnam…

Oh, wait. You’ll have to read the book yourself to find out more about that.

Spoiler-ish:

Pay attention to some of the characters introduced in Sally’s elementary school years. They re-appear later. And that’s all we’re gonna say about that.

Kindly note, Cupcake, that Downeyoshun includes some foul language. But it’s not gratuitous or pervasive. So keep your hair on, okay?

Bottom Line

We didn’t love this book. But we didn’t hate it, either.

It feels overwritten and overlong in places. Like the middle. We found the blow-by-blow account of Sally’s life told grade-by-grade from nursery school through college and marriage tiresome after awhile. It has a wash-rinse-repeat feel to it. But the story picks up around page 300. If ya wanna stick around that long. Then again, it’s well-written and has a bittersweet nostalgic feel to it. Or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn/Angela’s Ashes kinda vibe. So like we said, we didn’t hate it, either.

Final Analysis

Downeyoshun is a solid effort, especially for a debut novel. We look forward to more from this talented author.

Our Rating: 3.5