The Paper Cowboy by Kristin Levine

The year is 1953 and Tommy Wilson lives in Downers Grove, Illinois.  His  life has become quite complicated.  

His mother, under the stress of grieving her mother who died the previous year, giving birth to her fourth child, and seeing her oldest daughter burned in a terrible accident, often has trouble coping.  She cries a lot, explodes with anger,  and locks herself in the bedroom for hours and days at a time.  The house is a mess, the two youngest children are not adequately cared for, and Tommy receives countless beatings from his mother.  

He bullies his peers at school.  He makes fun of one student because of his weight, calling him “Little Skinny” and makes fun of a student who has a deformed hand due to polio.  

Tommy and his best friend find a copy of The Daily Worker, a communist newspaper during the community paper recycling drive.  Tommy keeps it, and is determined to find out which of his neighbors is a communist.    

Will Tommy’s mother get the help she needs?  Can Tommy change his ways?  And who is the communist? You should read this book to find out.

I haven't read many historical fiction novels set after World War II, and this story was an interesting glimpse into that time period. The different characters were dynamic, and I like the way that the neighbors came together in the end to help each other.

A good read!