The Tribulations of August Barton

LeBlanc’s coming-of-age tale about a nervous new freshman at North Dakota State University is an odd but charming blend of modern college life with an old-fashioned feel. August Barton, or Augie, moves into a dorm and meets Isaac, his roommate—and as is true of just about everyone except Augie, Isaac is “cool.” Augie struggles with bullies and the vicarious stress from his mother’s second divorce and her tense relationship with her own mother, Augie’s 78-year-old Grandma Gertie, who audaciously escapes from her rest home, provides booze for a college party, and proudly proclaims, “I was the best prostitute North Dakota had ever seen!” Gertie’s lively presence in her grandson’s life fills a void created by his distracted mother, and this sheds light on his decision to focus his degree on gerontology. As Augie gradually evolves and develops a friendship with Isaac, another freshman at NDSU, Rose Varley, finds the virginal Augie to be adorable. The romance with Rose exemplifies the unusual time-warp tone of the story when intense, contemporary sexuality is replaced by an old-fashioned courtship. Though this and most of the novel’s other elements are effectively portrayed, the prose sometimes feels clumsy and choppy. Augie’s personality is awkward, altruistic, and funny, and it’s a pleasure to watch him grow as he and the other entertaining characters live through a sweet, relatively wholesome winter.[em] (BookLife) [/em]