The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

In 1963, Sam’s mother is adamant that her six-year-old attends the Catholic school Our Lady of Mercy (OLM), but his application is denied. When his father declares public school will be sufficient, Madeline dumps creamer in his lap, expressing her distaste for the idea: “The son of Madeline Hill, whose first uttered word had been the name of the Blessed Mother of Jesus Christ, would not attend public school. Of this my mother was quite certain” (23).

Madeline dresses Sam in his nicest clothes, plops him in their blue Ford Falcon (a convertible car Max bought used), drives him to OLM, and barges in to speak with Sister Beatrice, the principal. When Madeline demands to know why Sam wasn’t admitted, the austere nun explains her concerns about Sam distracting other students in the first grade: The children at the school, who already know about Sam’s eyes, have nicknamed him “Sam Hell” and even call him “the devil boy” (28). Madeline proclaims Sam is a creation of God and that his presence in the classroom would serve to instruct the other students about kindness, but Sister Beatrice is firm in her decision. Sam and his mother leave—but Madeline will not accept the decision. She and Sam get back in the Falcon and drive directly to a high-rise office building to meet a college friend of hers called Dan, who kisses Madeline on the cheek and offers Sam a snack. Dan’s secretary gives Sam crayons and paper to use while the adults talk, and Dan assures Sam they will fix everything.

That evening alone in his bedroom, Sam tries out the nickname “Devil Boy” as he stares into the mirror. He views his eyes differently now. He shuffles downstairs for dinner, as the meal is a ritual at the Hill home. Madeline insists on the family eating together each night and strictly enforces table manners, but tonight, she serves dinner distractedly as she watches the evening news. Dan is a local reporter, and Madeline convinced him to run the story about OLM denying Sam admittance due to his eyes. Dan interviews Father Brogan, who asserts the school is kind to all students. Sam and his father are shocked. Later, Father Brogan calls, telling Madeline that Sam can begin first grade tomorrow.

Sam lies awake in bed listening to his parents argue: Sam’s father still thinks he should attend public school to avoid bullying (Madeline told him about the nickname “Devil Boy”), but Madeline asserts that Sam will never be like the other kids and the sooner he can learn it the better. His parent’s worried talk makes Sam anxious about starting school. He prays to God to fall ill so he does not have to go. His mother comes in to comfort him, and Sam asks her why God made him so different from other kids. Madeline admits she does not know but that they must rest in God’s will, and she reminds him that his character comes from the inside.

Sam cannot reconcile his pain with his mother’s faith. He falls asleep praying desperately for help but awakens for his first day of school to find his eyes still red, his prayers unanswered: “It was the first—but not the last—time I would empty my bank for that request and be disappointed" (41). Sam’s father suggests they go out for pizza that night to celebrate the adventure of starting school, but Sam is nauseated and anxious. After snapping a photo to document the day, his father says a tearful goodbye, and Sam is off to OLM.