The Weight of a Thousand Feathers

by Brian Conaghan

Overview

From the acclaimed author of When Mr. Dog Bites and The Bombs That Brought Us Together comes a compelling, thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and timely story that asks: how far would you go for family?

As the person who cares for his terminally-ill mother, Bobby Seed has a lot on his plate. Add to that a responsibility to watch over his little brother (with his endless question about why their mother is in so much pain), keeping up at school, and navigating a relationship with a girl friend who wants to be a girlfriend, and he's barely keeping his head above the water. Something's got to give.

But then Bobby's mother makes a request, one that seems impossible. If he agrees, he won't just be soothing her pain. He'll be helping her end it — and end everything. Angry, stirring, and tender, this bold novel tells a story of choice and compassion, exploring the lengths to which we'll go for the people we love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681194820
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/26/2019
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Brian Conaghan is the author of When Mr. Dog Bites and The Bombs That Brought Us Together, and the co-author of We Come Apart. He lives and works as a teacher in Dublin and has a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. Throughout the years, Brian has made a living as a painter and decorator, bartender, teacher, and now writer.

@BrianConaghan

Editorial Reviews

01/14/2019

Scottish teen Bobby Seed, 17, finds himself caring for both his 14-year-old brother, Dan, whose undiagnosed psychosocial condition leads to developmentally younger behavior, and his mother, whose advanced multiple sclerosis makes her dependent on Bobby for basic needs. Witty, upbeat conversations between mother and son do not disguise the anguish caused by the family’s unplanned role reversals. An invitation to join a support group brings Bobby a welcome weekly respite as well as relationships with other teens who truly understand his predicament. Bobby’s emotional challenges reach a crisis point when his mother asks him to help end her life. Through Bobby’s conversational narrative voice (“Ever want to piss someone off? Tell them you understand their pain: that’ll work a treat”) peppered with snippets of poetry, Conaghan (The Bombs that Brought Us Together) deftly manages his heavy subject matter, conveying both the particular conundrums caused by Bobby’s atypical responsibilities and more predictable teenage challenges regarding sexual identity, friendships, and experimentation. This illuminating, thought-provoking novel offers a compassionate exploration of the weighty responsibilities that one teenage caregiver faces. Ages 14–up. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Bobby's first-person narration is a masterful and very realistic blend of sarcasm, shame, hopefulness, earnestness, and anger. . . . Uncompromising, unflinching, and unsentimental.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The relationships depicted, especially between Bobby and his mother, are raw and real, and readers will be rooting for this family . . . A heavy, well-written examination of ethics and family bonds.” —Booklist

“Bittersweet and thoughtfully written . . . Teens who appreciate stories with emotional and thought-provoking plots will enjoy this novel.” —VOYA

“A timeless allegory . . . Conaghan tackles the complexities of war, occupation, and totalitarianism in a direct and accessible way.” —Kirkus Reviews on THE BOMBS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER

“Conaghan presents a compelling situation with no easy answers; it's easy to sympathize with Charlie's moral and ethical dilemmas, and the dichotomy between Old Country and Little Town could fuel provocative discussions.” —Publishers Weekly on THE BOMBS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER

“This accomplished new novel establishes Conaghan as a major talent . . . Incredibly powerful and thought-provoking.” —Bookseller on THE BOMBS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER

“[T]his book brings light to communities where teens are struggling under a repressive government or regime pressured by a larger neighboring nation . . . Readers will fly through the last portion of the book in one sitting.” —School Library Journal on THE BOMBS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER

“Dylan is smart and caring, and beneath his realistically portrayed condition, he is a normal teenager with relatable concerns. As Dylan would say, this one is 'A-mayonnaise-ing.'” —Booklist on WHEN MR. DOG BITES

“Conaghan . . . does an excellent job of portraying his unconventional and memorable protagonist.” —Publishers Weekly on WHEN MR. DOG BITES

“An appealingly offbeat look at friendship, sex and what's really 'normal.'” —Kirkus Reviews on WHEN MR. DOG BITES

“Insightful, engaging, and immerses teens into the world of Tourette's . . . Uninhibited and compelling.” —School Library Journal on WHEN MR. DOG BITES

From the Publisher

12/01/2018
Gr 9 Up{amp}mdash;This first-person work of realistic fiction features Bobby Seed, a teen who has been foisted into the role of "carer," a term American readers might find unfamiliar but will soon understand as they read about Bobby's wisecracking and loving mother becoming less able to take care of herself and her family because of her multiple sclerosis (MS). Not only must Bobby manage school and dinner, but he must also attend to laundry and all his mum's personal needs. Add to that coping with a younger brother with some cognitive and behavioral challenges of his own, and the teen badly needs a solid friend like Bel whose romantic feelings Bobby does not return. He also begins to attend a support group for other teen carers, where he meets Lou, a guy with a Vespa and an American flavor of cool, whom Bobby does find attractive. The book's second half sees Bobby rooming with Lou at a weekend group outing, trying to provide his mum with pot at her nostalgic request to relive her youth while she still can, and hoping to manage even more unthinkable requests as she faces the total loss of body control. While the story is important, the writing style and poor pacing fail to pull teens into Bobby's narrative. VERDICT An additional purchase.{amp}mdash;Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA

School Library Journal

★ 2018-11-07

A teen struggles with just how far he's willing to go for his terminally ill mother.

While most kids his age are arguing with their parents over curfews and screen time, Scottish 17-year-old Bobby Seed is his mother's caregiver. Mum has secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, a painful and debilitating disease of the central nervous system. There's no pretty way to say it: Mum is going to die. Bobby also looks after his 14-year-old brother, Danny, who acts much younger than his age (he seems to have an undiagnosed cognitive disability; their mother wanted to avoid labeling him). In addition to making sure Danny brushes his teeth and gets to school on time, Bobby tries to protect him from their mother's prognosis with lies and half-truths. Mum's health is rapidly deteriorating, and she makes a request that changes everything: She wants Bobby to end her life. Bobby loves her more than anything, but can he take away her pain by taking her life? Bobby's first-person narration is a masterful and very realistic blend of sarcasm, shame, hopefulness, earnestness, and anger. His emotional ups and downs parallel MS's vicious cycle of relapse and recovery. Awkward moments with his crush, Lou, the ultracool American guy who drives a vintage Vespa, and lots of ribbing from Mum add a touch of comic relief to temper the story's seriousness. Assume whiteness throughout.

Uncompromising, unflinching, and unsentimental. (Fiction. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews