130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide delivery 🚀 Auckland Bookstore • Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

The Outside Boy

By Jeanine Cummins
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.22 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 11,384 ratings, 1,078 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Outside Boy by Jeanine Cummins is a coming-of-age story set in 1950s Ireland, focusing on a young boy named Christy who travels with his family of itinerant Tinkers. While navigating the complexities of identity and belonging, Christy uncovers family secrets through an intriguing old journal. The book beautifully explores themes of heritage, identity, and the journey to self-understanding amidst the backdrop of post-war Ireland.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by vibrant tales set in the lush backdrop of 1950s Ireland. It invites readers to follow a young boy's journey of self-discovery and belonging, with evocative storytelling and richly drawn characters that bring this poignant narrative to life.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A poignant, coming of age novel about an Irish gypsy boy's childhood in the 1950's from the author of AMERICAN DIRT.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
'A full-throated song of praise. I loved it' Sherman Alexie

The Outside Boy is set in Ireland, 1959. Young Christopher Hurley is a tinker, a Pavee gypsy, who roams with his father and extended family from town to town, carrying all their worldly possessions in their wagons. Christy carries with him a burden of guilt as well: his mother's death in childbirth.

The wandering life is the only one Christy has ever known, but when his grandfather dies, everything changes. His father decides to settle briefly in a town, where Christy and his cousin can receive proper schooling. But still, always, they are treated as outsiders.

As Christy struggles with his new classmates, he starts to question who he is and where he belongs. But then the discovery of an old newspaper photograph, and a long-buried secret, changes his life forever.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The reviews highlight The Outside Boy as a deeply moving and beautifully written novel, capturing a vanishing culture with elegance. While it draws comparisons to Angela's Ashes, the book maintains its own fictional uniqueness with well-crafted scenes and characters, offering readers a poignant and enchanting experience.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781472272836

Publisher: Headline Publishing Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 11 June 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Tinder Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 194.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 384

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Jeanine Cummins Literary Fiction

About the Author

Jeanine Cummins is the author of the novels AMERICAN DIRT, THE OUTSIDE BOY and THE CROOKED BRANCH, and a true crime work, A RIP IN HEAVEN. She lives in New York with her husband and two children.

Also by Jeanine Cummins

View all
  • American Dirt
    American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins is a harrowing tale of survival and resilience that explores the profound lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child. This captivating novel opens with Lydia Perez, a contented bookstore owner in Acapulco, Mexico, who finds her life irrevocably shattered when her husband, a brave journalist, falls victim to a drug...
    By Jeanine Cummins
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Speak to Me of Home
    'A riveting tale of three generations, this is storytelling at its finest' JOHN BOYNE, author of The Heart's Invisible Furies 'Why hadn't she said to her daughter I love you beyond reason and none of this matters at all and every day that you breathe is a gift?' Rafaela Acuna y Daubon remembers everything that matters: her beautiful childhood in...
    By Jeanine Cummins
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • American Dirt (Oprah's Book Club)
    Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt, the #1 New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club pick that has sold over three million copies, is finally available in paperback. Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. While cracks are beginning to show in Acapulco because of the...
    By Jeanine Cummins
    Paperback
    $5100
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Crooked Branch
    ‘Rich and intricately drawn... luminous prose’ Carolyn Parkhurst After the birth of her daughter Emma, the usually resilient Majella finds herself feeling isolated and exhausted. Then, at her childhood home, Majella discovers the diary of her maternal ancestor Ginny, and is shocked to read a story of murder in her family history. With the famine upon her, Ginny Doyle fled...
    By Jeanine Cummins
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Rip in Heaven
    The acclaimed author of American Dirt reveals the devastating effects of a shocking tragedy in this landmark true crime book: the first ever to look intimately at the experiences of both the victims and their families. A Rip in Heaven is Jeanine Cummins' story of a night in April, 1991, when her two cousins, Julie and Robin Kerry, and her...
    By Jeanine Cummins
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Speak to Me of Home
    From the Sunday Times bestselling author of American Dirt, comes a heartfelt, multigenerational family story which asks: what does it mean to call a place home?'Delectable... a pleasure to read' THE TIMES'A riveting tale of three generations, this is storytelling at its finest' JOHN BOYNE'Utterly absorbing, a big, sweeping story of family and identity' EDEL COFFEY'Why hadn't she said to...
    By Jeanine Cummins
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Speak to Me of Home
    From the Sunday Times bestselling author of American Dirt, comes a heartfelt, multigenerational family story which asks: what does it mean to call a place home? 'Delectable... a pleasure to read' THE TIMES 'A riveting tale of three generations, this is storytelling at its finest' JOHN BOYNE 'Utterly absorbing, a big, sweeping story of family and identity' EDEL COFFEY 'Why...
    By Jeanine Cummins
    Hardback
    Sold Out

More from General Fiction

View all
  • On Sale
    17% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    By Caro Claire Burke
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    14% off
    Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    By Allen Levi
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    17% off
    The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    By Alison Espach
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Threshing Day
    The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day contains thirteen stories starring your favorite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-color illustrations by artist Joe Requeza.    Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing and In the...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Hardback
    $6999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Chain Reaction
    Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child. The world’s bestselling hero is back in a brand new, high-octane adventure! ‘She knew that finding Reacher would not be easy . . .’ Washington DC. General Susan Turner needs help from the only guy she knows will get...
    By Lee Child and Andrew Child
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set (5 books)
    All five of the Court of Thorns and Roses paperbacks packaged together in a gorgeous box set. "Passionate, violent, sexy and daring." —USA TODAY on A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $9999
    Elsewhere:
    $12495
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Mist and Fury
    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas continues Feyre Archeron's epic journey in the world of the High Fae. Having survived the brutal trials under the Mountain, Feyre returns to the Spring Court. Though she now possesses the immortal powers of the High Fae, the traumatic experiences have left scars on her human heart. Haunted by the...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
    The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin
    The third instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the gripping third book of the ACOTAR series, Feyre Archeron faces the ultimate battle for her world. Having returned to the Spring Court, she is determined to gather...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Silver Flames - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Silver Flames - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight
    In A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, readers are invited to revisit the enchanting world of Prythian in a heartwarming and introspective narrative. Set against the backdrop of the Winter Solstice, Feyre Archeron and her mate Rhysand return to centre stage as they strive to restore the Night Court after the devastating conflicts of A Court...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Frost and Starlight - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. An unmissable companion tale to the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all