My Name is Yip

 By: Paddy Crewe

Location: FIC CRE

Genre: Historical Fiction, Western

With its colorful description of people and places, comic backbone, and compelling narrator, My Name Is Yip is a bold adventure––a gripping tale of courage, struggle, hope, and brotherhood––that reckons with the seductive pull of the American South and its dark and complex histories.

A bold, revisionist take on the Western novel set in the Georgia gold rush, for readers of Charles Portis and Cormac McCarthy, by a powerful debut novelist with an original voice

It’s 1815 in the small town of Heron's Creek, Georgia, when Yip Tolroy––mute, medical anomaly, and social outcast––is born. His father has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, so he is raised by his mother: a powerful, troubled, independent woman who owns and runs a general store. She struggles to manage his needs, leaving Yip to find the means of asserting himself in an unforgiving, hostile environment. With the help of a retired doctor, he begins to transform his life by learning to read and write, his portal into the community a piece of slate and a supply of chalk.
       
And then at the age of fifteen, Yip’s life is altered irrevocably. In the space of a few days he witnesses the discovery of gold, meets his faithful friend and comrade Dud Carter, and commits a grievous crime. Thrust unwittingly into a world of violence and sin, Yip and Dud are forced to leave town and embark on an odyssey that will introduce them to the wonder and horror of the American frontier until the revelation of a secret means they must return to Heron’s Creek and the fate that awaits them.
       

Review by Will:

This rip roaring, page-turning historical adventure yarn is an accomplished and assured debut novel. I thought there were a few minor flaws, but they were easily forgiven as I was swept along on a galloping wild ride. The author's story telling talent is top notch and he creates a truly memorable character in Yip. While I was thoroughly entertained, that is not to say there isn't some substance to be found beneath all the action. Crewe has some things to say, themes to explore. A big thumbs up from me but I also realize this may not be for everyone. Yip's folksy voice may not appeal, may actually irritate some readers (it worked for me) and be warned that the novel does have its fair share of violence.