Robert Dugoni

Born with ocular albinism, small-town eye doctor Sam Hill must finally face a past tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he'd always known--a journey that makes him realize what truly matters.

a novel

The extraordinary life of Sam Hell

Jordan

Alex S

3.25/5

I'm so disappointed. I really, really liked this book in the first 3/4th, and then it got weird. We learned so much about the ways Sam was treated poorly, and now he's going to put his immigrant son with red eyes in the Catholic school that treated him that way? Yeah, that's gonna go well... 

It feels like this book was trying to evangelize me when I just was here to connect with some characters. Which to be fair, did happen for most of the book.

From #1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni. Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called "Devil Boy" by his classmates; "God's will" is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Her words were of little comfort, but Sam persevered, buoyed by his mother's devout faith, his father's practical wisdom, and his two other misfit friends. Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. And that it was God's idea for Mickie Kennedy to storm into Our Lady of Mercy like a tornado, uprooting every rule Sam had been taught about boys and girls. Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design--especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he'd always known. Running from the pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time, his eyes are wide open--bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

Lacy W

a special thank you goes out to Netgalley and Lake Union publishing for allowing me to read this eARC early. all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

tw: racial slurs, slurs towards those with intellectual disabilities, LGBTQIA+ slurs, child abuse, domestic abuse 


   Our skin, our hair and our eyes are simply the shell that surrounds our soul and our soul is who we are. 


What an absolutely beautiful tale of an extraordinary man. I am seriously blown away and so shocked that this came from Robert Dugoni. I knew he wrote crime fiction well (The Tracy Crosswhite series proves that) but I never thought he could write with such depth and such feeling. I almost shed tears at the end of this book because I didn't want it to end. That's how much it touched me. 

This isn't a memoir but it sure is written like one, which makes all the more special. We follow the life of Sam Hill, who has red eyes due to ocular albinism. The book switches back and forth from his childhood to his adult life. We get a tongue in cheek story of how Sam grew up and how he became the man he is today. 

I was completely sucked in. I wanted to know everything about this individual. Sam was incredibly likeable. He struggled with being "different" and my heart just bled for him. He was lucky to have such an amazing support system with super awesome friends that helped him navigate this rough road called life. He was thoughtful and brought up a lot of interesting points about religion and life.

If I could give this book a theme, I would give it the theme of forgiveness. Sam had to learn to forgive himself for having ocular ablisminm. He had to learn to forgive those that harmed him, especially his bully. He had to learn to forgive people that caused him harm. It took a lot for him to do that and he often struggled with it but it's something we all have to learn in life. I liked that this book felt real. This book could be about anyone at any point in time. 

The one tiny negative was that at time this book did drag a little. I found that I enjoyed the childhood aspect of the book than the adult life. Not a lot happened in the adult part until the last 30% or so. That is bound to happen with memoir type books. Hence the 4 (four) star rating. 

Regardless. This was an incredible book. It really makes me think about how cruel people can be. Even those that are in the faith. We all need to be kind to one another and celebrate our differences. The are what makes us extraordinary. I really want everyone to read this book because it's truly that amazing. 


  There comes a time in every man's life where he stops looking forward and starts looking back. 


please note: quotes used above came from an unpublished arc and are subject to change upon publication date.

Finn Salter

boring, repetitive, kinda misogynistic. the way the author portrays the women in Sam’s life is so flat and uninteresting. “not an ounce of fat on her body” ... ew. didn’t even finish it.

Wow!  Just wow!  What an amazing read.  It was well written and captivating.  A book that tugs at her heart strings while connecting with the characters.

Sam Hill was born with ocular albinism resulting in red eyes.  He is bullied at school by students as well as adults.  He endures so much hardship as a result of his “condition.”  Through the strength and faith of his mom and the support of two great friends, he grows into something pretty extraordinary.

In the words of the author, “Sam wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that God really did have a plan for him and for his life, that his hardships as a child would all help mold for him an extraordinary life. He wanted to believe that his prayers had a purpose, that God truly is benevolent, despite so many in the world so often being malevolent. He wanted to believe that God’s will really meant something and was not just a mother’s way of dismissing a curious son.”  

Trigger warnings:  graphic language, sexual content, child and domestic abuse, and bullying. 

Barbara Williford

Wow!  Just wow!  What an amazing read.  It was well written and captivating.  A book that tugs at her heart strings while connecting with the characters.

Sam Hill was born with ocular albinism resulting in red eyes.  He is bullied at school by students as well as adults.  He endures so much hardship as a result of his “condition.”  Through the strength and faith of his mom and the support of two great friends, he grows into something pretty extraordinary.

In the words of the author, “Sam wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that God really did have a plan for him and for his life, that his hardships as a child would all help mold for him an extraordinary life. He wanted to believe that his prayers had a purpose, that God truly is benevolent, despite so many in the world so often being malevolent. He wanted to believe that God’s will really meant something and was not just a mother’s way of dismissing a curious son.”  

Trigger warnings:  graphic language, sexual content, child and domestic abuse, and bullying. 

Sarahi Flores

For me, this book captivated the realism of how people suffer but still maintain a good heart. 

More of my review on my blog (link on bio)

Thank you Net galley for giving a copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

The extraordinary life of Sam Hell a novel

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