The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir that inspired the film October Sky, Rocket Boys is a uniquely American memoir -- a powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the dawn of the 1960s, of a mother's love and a father's fears, of a group of young men who dreamed of launching rockets into outer space...and who made those dreams come true. Nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, Homer Hickam's lush, lyrical memoir is a marvelously entertaining chronicle of triumph.
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"OMG this book almost made me cry! I usually get tired of coming-of-age stories but this one hit home. I don't know, maybe it's the poverty, or the rockets, or his friends. but the story of how he became what he is now is truly amazing. It kinda gives me hope for my own future. :)" — Irene (5 out of 5 stars)
"OMG this book almost made me cry! I usually get tired of coming-of-age stories but this one hit home. I don't know, maybe it's the poverty, or the rockets, or his friends. but the story of how he became what he is now is truly amazing. It kinda gives me hope for my own future. :)"
“A thoroughly charming memoir…[An] eloquent evocation of a lost time and place.”
A thoroughly charming memoir . . . [An] eloquent evocation of a lost time and place.
“[Hickam] is a very adept storyteller.”
“Unforgettable.”
“Hickam’s recollections of small-town America in the last years of small-town America are so cinematic that even those of us who didn’t grow up there might imagine we did.”
“A stirring tale that offers something unusual these days…a message of hope in an age of cynicism.”
" Good memoir of a boy growing up in a coal mining town at the start of the rocket age. "
" i am not very far but... i love it so far! "
" Homer Hickam is a great storyteller and really gives you a sense of the time and the town. "
" Easily one of the best books I've ever read. The movie is one of my favorites and this book is fantastic (maybe even better than the movie). Rocket Boys epitomizes the American Dream in my opinion and it proves that you can do anything you set your heart to. "
" Amazing book, it truly did inspire me to build rockets. "
" Excellent read. I saw the movie when it came out, but never got around to reading the book. Hickam is an EXCELLENT storyteller. I don't think I have laughed so hard while reading non-fiction ever. I kept cheering the boys on even knowing the general story. "
" I'm no rocket scientist, but I enjoyed this book. It's a very well-written look at a small coal-mining town and explores family relations, friendships, 1950s life, and oh rocketry. And it's true. "
" October sky is a good book problem is it is dry and doesnt have very intrest or maby thats just my opinion "
" Why can I not give this book more than five stars? "
" This book is really cool! "
" This was a really neat book. I loved that they used all of the scientific words and taught the reader what they meant while at the same time sharing the great story of the other things going on in Sonny's life in Coalwood. "
" Great book. It's hard to find a book that's a true story and suspenseful like this one. "
" I was shocked to find I couldn't wait to get home each night to read this book. I didn't expect to like it at all - it had all my usual "NO" points - Country hicks, Politics, etc, and yet...I couldn't stop reading. It really has been one of the highlights of the recent months. "
" This memoir was the basis for the wonderful film "October Sky." I've read three of Homer Hickham's books, and they're all great, part coming-of-age stories, part snapshots of a bygone era in America's recent history. I highly recommend this book. "
" It was really hard to turn the next page, haha, but it kept me busy, that's for sure. "
" Really good. Kinda makes you wonder what it would've been like to grow up back then in a small town. "
" This was not one of those books that entertained and drew me in, but it was interesting nevertheless. It just took a little "This is the only book I have to read" push to get into it. "
" Excellent! Loved it! Think it is worthwhile reading for us older folks and insprining for the younger set! "
" This is probably a 3.5 star rating. It is definitely worth reading as it very clearly brings you into a mining town in the 50s. For that perspective alone it is fascinating, I also enjoyed the boy's imagination, a young engineer looking at the world. "
" I loved this book and couldn't put it down. "
" Audio Book, October Sky is one of my favorite movies. "
" Love the was this man writes. Interesting to read about coal miners and I always wonder: why would anybody want to be a miner? But,of course, it's because of your dad's a miner and you were born & raised in a mining town. October Sky was the movie made from this book. "
" Wonderful memoir of boys growing up in a dying Appalachian coal-mining town who are driven to learn science and math because of their obsession with rockets. "
" All American story of achieving your dreams.The descriptions of small town life in the coal mining mountains of Virginia was interesting but maybe on reflection it was all a bit too syrupy.a good read nonetheless. "
Homer Hickam is the author of the New York Times bestseller Rocket Boys, which was made into the acclaimed movie October Sky. He has also authored the military history bestseller Torpedo Junction, along with several other popular historical and science fiction novels. A respected amateur historian, scuba expedition leader, and military veteran, he continues to write using his personal experience and history for creative material.
Beau Bridges is a Grammy and Emmy Awardwinning actor and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator.
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