Lit in Translation

Joe Speedboat

Joe Speedboot

Tommy Wieringa (born 1967)

Translated by Sam Garrett

English editions

In English

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When he was thirteen, Fransje Hermans lay in a field during mowing to see what fate would do; since then he cannot walk and only one arm still works. Clever and observant, he writes with that hand and records the exploits of the local teenagers. At their centre is Joe, a boy newly arrived in the village, who builds explosives and assembles a little aeroplane that actually flies, and who convinces the others that an ordinary small-town life need not be theirs. Fransje's account follows their friendship, their rivalry over the girl PJ and their reckless schemes.

AI-generated summary

About the book

Form
Novel
Length
315 pages in the original
Genres
Coming of age (assigned by AI)
Set in
Netherlands
First published
2005 by De Bezige Bij
Author's age
38 when first published
ISBN

9789023414339 (original)

9781846271038 (Portobello Books, United Kingdom)

9780802170729 (Black Cat, United States)

9781846271045 (Portobello Books, United Kingdom)

9781925228175 (Scribe, United Kingdom)

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Wikidata