Vencil

By Frank Shima

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0878392246
• ISBN13: 9780878392247
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: North Star Press
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.

Customer Reviews

a charming idyll

Vencil is the name James (or Jim) in Czechoslovakian. Not knowing this before I picked up the book, the title seemed strange; nor could I get an idea of what to expect based on the blurry picture of old men on the cover. I picked this out because the first chapter (as a short story called "Superfarmer") won the 1987 Lake Superior Writers series fiction competition. Through Jimmy's six-year old eyes, we are drawn into 1950's rural Minnesota, to an old-world Czech community slowly making its way toward modernization. Plum Creek is little Jimmy's world. He does his farm chores, goes to school, and dreams of owning a television so he could watch Superman. Life as he knows it is interrupted when his uncle Vencil goes missing; and this is the beginning of what becomes a year of changes for him and his family. There are sweet, funny parts as Jimmy tries to navigate his way in an adult world. Many chapters end in a realization of Jimmy's, as his eyes are opened to some new discovery, or he learns something; and this adds that all-important depth that good writing needs. Also notable are the descriptions of farm life. We get to romp with Jimmy barefoot through the creek and dirt and manure; and also trudge with him through the hard farm work. This is a charming idyll that has a mix of humor, suspense, and sentimentality.

Nicely told story

The story of Vencil is told by Jimmie, a six-year-old boy who lives on a farm in Minnesota with his parents and older brother. It is set in the 1950s and their farm does not even have electricity. Jimmie loves the freedom of living on a farm, but he is not quite so enthusiastic about the physical labor, especially in the winter. When Uncle Vencil disappears, the family travels to the city hoping to find him. After experiencing city life for the first time, Jimmie realizes his life is not as bad as he thought. When everyone else seems to have given up on ever finding Vencil, Jimmie discovers a clue as to where Vencil may have gone and sets out to find him. This book depicts the everyday life of a child who lives in a rural area. Stories describing long rides on the school bus and doing daily chores are prominent. It was fun seeing things from a six-year-old's point of view. I laughed several times when he misunderstood what the adults were saying. As children do, he interpreted everything literally which led to some funny moments. Also central to this book is how close extended families were back then. The importance of helping each other and spending time together was emphasized. In today's busy world that closeness is often lacking, with some children never getting to meet relatives who do not live nearby. Shima does a fine job of comparing and contrasting city life and country life through the eyes of a child. The hard work and long hours on the farm were difficult. But the benefits of being able to walk by a creek and having plenty of open space made up for it. City life, although it contains many luxuries such as television and elevators, seemed so hurried. The people had no time to talk with each other and the space was much more cramped, causing the beauty to be diminished. Vencil is a well-written book that describes the difficulties of farm life in the 1950s. Shima demonstrates that hardships can be minimized with the support of family and friends. Armchair Interviews says: Nice story, well told.

An absolute gem

Vencil is a wonderful example of an author taking his memories of growing up and fictionalizing them. I grew up on a Maine chicken farm in the 1950s and this book brought back countless memories of how I looked at life, my family and rural farms when I was the same age. Frank Shima's prose as well as his ability to paint a word picture which pulls the reader in so they can 'see' the story unfolding are exceptional. This is a book that will not only bring joy and nostalgia to those who grew up in the same era or on a farm, but is an excellent book to introduce younger readers to the times and coming of age literature.