The One In a Million Boy

by Wood, Monica

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On Jun 29, 2016, CloggieDownunder said

"He had not loved his son enough. This knowledge lived like a malignancy on his heart. He wanted to believe that the boy, in a future now lost and impossible, would have forgiven him, would have taken their blundering history and found its logic and shaped it into items on a list. And that this – eating cake with Miss Ona Vitkus – would be one of those items"

The One-In-A-Million Boy is the fourth novel by American author, Monica Wood. When Quinn Porter turns up at the home of Miss Ona Vitkus on Sibley Avenue in Portland, Maine, he does so to fulfil a duty his eleven-year-old son had taken on. As part of Scout Troupe 23, the boy (whose name is never mentioned) had been doing yard work, filling the bird feeders, whatever needed to be done for the old lady. But now could not.

Quinn plans to do his duty for the required seven Saturdays and then move on. But in Ona's house, he finds traces of the son he was unable to connect with in life. "Quinn had never wanted children, had been an awkward, largely absent father; and now, in the wake of the boy's death, he was left with neither the ice-smooth paralysis of shock, not the crystalline focus of grief, but rather with a heart-swelling package of murky and miserable ironies"

Miss Ona Vitkus is old; one hundred and four years old, to be exact. "Her stockinged legs looked like rake handles jammed into small black shoes". And yet, somehow, this old lady does connect with the boy: "He waited. With the unruffled patience of a cat. This did not seem like a deficiency…She regarded him carefully; maybe it was the uniform, which could have been fifty years old; maybe it was his throwback manners; or the sea gray of his irises, which suggested an age and wisdom he could not possibly possess"

She finds she trusts him enough to consent to the recording of her memories: "He began with a question of his own, passed across the table in immaculate penmanship. His handmade questions, the product of silent forethought, invariably unhooked a shut gate, leaving her to brace against an onrush of memory. The surprise was how little she minded"

"She felt suddenly fond of her unremarkable life, that humdrum necklace of imitation pearls with the occasional glint of the real thing. The boy kept glancing at her as he would at a prize heifer, and she felt like one: round and healthy, clean and well brushed, a surefire winner".

Wood's format is original: Divided into five parts, each prefaced with a Lithuanian word, she uses a combination of straight narrative, transcripts of tape recordings and World Record Lists (which may seem a little strange, but is quite effective) to tell the far-from-ordinary life story of Miss Ona Vitkus, but also to reveal events in the life of Quinn, the boy, and his mother, Belle.

Wood's descriptive prose is exquisite: "Mrs Japan and Mrs Romania had unpronounceable names, the former free-floating with vowels, the latter fortressed by consonants" and "She's tucked the boy safely offstage, in a species of Limbo. He was less than real but more, much more, than a memory: a voice speaking from the wings, an impression of living stillness" are examples.

Wood's characters are appealing for all their quirks and flaws, especially the boy: "Belle managed something like a laugh despite her sorrow, for the boy's syntactical oddities had always pleased her. He'd read obsessively – instruction manuals, record books, novels far too old for him – picking up linguistic baubles like a crow mining a roadside".

Wood touches on grief, on ageing, on obsessive behaviour, on responsibility, on the love between a parent and a child. Her ending is bound to bring a lump to the throat of the most cynical reader. Funny and poignant, this is a brilliant read.

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The One-in-a-Million Boy: The touching novel of a 104-year-old woman's friendship with a boy you'll never forget

The One-in-a-Million Boy: The touching novel of a 104-year-old woman's friendship with a boy you'll never forget

by Wood, Monica

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2016-04-05
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Headline Review, 2016-04-05. First Edition. Hardcover. Good/Good Jacket. 19 to 25 cm tall, Octavo, (8vo). First Edition. Posted within 1 working day. 1st class tracked post to the UK, Airmail tracked worldwide. Robust recyclable packaging.
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The One-in-a-Million Boy

The One-in-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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Paperback / softback. New. New Book; Fast Shipping from UK; Not signed; Not First Edition; The unforgettable novel about a boy in a million - and the 104-year-old woman who saves his family. 'A bittersweet story about finding friendship in the most unlikely of places' Good Housekeeping
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The One In A Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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January 2017
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The One-in-a-Million Boy

by Wood, Monica

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2016-04-05T00:00:01Z
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9780544617070
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016-04-05T00:00:01Z. hardcover. Like New. 96x18x144. FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING, full number line starting with "1". Appears to be a book that was shelved, stored, and/or briefly handled but never read. Dust jacket clean and intact in near mint condition with no chipping on edges or price stickers, sticker residue or scars. No markings, tears, corner… Read more about this item
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THE ONE IN A MILLION BOY* (171 POCHE)

by WOOD MONICA

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2017-01-13
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HACHETTE UK, 2017-01-13. Paperback. Like New. 413 p., plus ads, clean and unmarked anywhere; binding tight; wrapper without discernible wear.
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The One-In-a-Million Boy

The One-In-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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2017
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9780544947214
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The One-in-a-Million Boy

by Wood, Monica

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Headline Review, 01/12/2017. 01. Paperback. Used; Good. **WE SHIP WITHIN 24 HRS FROM LONDON, UK, 98% OF OUR ORDERS ARE RECEIVED WITHIN 7-10 DAYS. We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
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The One-in-a-million Boy (Wheeler Large Print Book Series)

by Wood, Monica

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2016-08-03
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9781410492142
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Wheeler Publishing Large Print, 2016-08-03. Hardcover. Good. Order today-sent today with tracking number, M-F*. Good ex-library book. Besides the usual labels and stamps this book also has light shelf-wear. This is a good reading copy. We protect your purchase with damage-resistant double-layer bubble-wrap packaging where possible. Your purchase helps fund small charities in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana. *Our… Read more about this item
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The One in a Million Boy

The One in a Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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2017
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The One-in-a-Million Boy

The One-in-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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2016
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The One-in-a-Million Boy

by Wood, Monica

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9780544617070
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Used - Good. Hardcover This item shows wear from consistent use but remains in good readable condition. It may have marks on or in it, and may show other signs of previous use or shelf wear. May have minor creases or signs of wear on dust jacket. Packed with care, shipped promptly.
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The One-in-a-Million Boy

by Wood, Monica

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Headline Review, 04/05/2016. Hardcover. Used; Good. **WE SHIP WITHIN 24 HRS FROM LONDON, UK, 98% OF OUR ORDERS ARE RECEIVED WITHIN 7-10 DAYS. We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
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The One-in-a-Million Boy: The touching novel of a 104-year-old woman's friendship with a boy you'll never forget…

The One-in-a-Million Boy: The touching novel of a 104-year-old woman's friendship with a boy you'll never forget…

by Wood, Monica

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The One-in-a-Million Boy

The One-in-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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2016
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ISBN
9781410492142
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The One-In-A-Million Boy

The One-In-A-Million Boy

by Wood, Monica

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ISBN
9780544947214
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The One-In-a-Million Boy

The One-In-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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Published
2017
Binding
Paperback
ISBN
9780544947214
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2017. Paperback. Good. Disclaimer:Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The One-In-a-Million Boy

The One-In-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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Used - Very Good
Published
2017
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Paperback
ISBN
9780544947214
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2017. Paperback. Very Good. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The One-In-a-Million Boy

The One-In-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

Condition
Used - Good
Published
2017
Binding
Paperback
ISBN
9780544947214
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Seattle, Washington, USA
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2017. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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A$9.29
The One-In-a-Million Boy

The One-In-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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Used - Acceptable
Published
2017
Binding
Paperback
ISBN
9780544947214
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Seattle, Washington, USA
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2017. Paperback. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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The One-in-a-Million Boy

by Monica Wood

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April 2017
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ISBN
9780544947214
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