Motor City Boys - Softcover

MOTOR CITY BOYS offers readers an opportunity to see the world in a different way—where friendship creates light and hope for the future. The novel offers the perspective of boys from blue-collar, 50's Detroit. Their story confronts the moral dilemmas that adolescents face in every generation. When the school year begins, Flyer and his four friends have little notion of the challenges they will face in their junior year. Third Grade doesn’t realize he will fall in love with Marcy, a girl who’s dating the toughest thug, Slats Fazulli, in their neighborhood. Lightning looks forward to playing football but isn’t aware there’s an opponent in his future, Bruno Pitlosh, so massive and powerful, he resembles a tree disguised as a person. The Bush can’t predict his conflict with his mother’s boyfriend will force him to see a psychiatrist able to match wits with him. And, when Flyer finally gets a date with Rhonda, he'll have to question whether an erotic dream can turn into a blunder and still have a happy ending. Horsehair, the wisest among these friends, will have to use his instincts to keep them safe as they encounter sex, violence, loss, and their own craziness in 50’s Detroit. These are the Motor City Boys navigating the rough current of their urban world. Wild, loyal, and living through a year filled with crisis and revelation, they find a way forward. Like The Outsiders, this novel focuses on boys who can be reckless and aggressive. It differs from this work by embedding a sense of humor throughout its characters' adventures. Sustained by their friendship and ideals, The Motor City Boys stay engaged with life and open to other ways to live in the world. With a voice true to its time and place, this novel affirms the resilience of youth in the decade when the classic identity of "the adolescent" first emerged.

Raymond Wlodkowski was raised in Detroit and is a graduate of Wayne State University. He is a psychologist who has written several nonfiction books. This is his first novel. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Margery.