Henry Webb
Ever go for a stroll and get blown away by a hurricane? That’s what happens to Neil Riley, the protagonist of the novel With the Children. It’s 1969 and, to dodge the Vietnam era draft, he takes a job teaching 6th grade in South Harlem. He knows nothing about teaching, but presumes it’ll be a snap. Only when he’s confronted by thirty-three street-smart children who know exactly how little he knows does he realize the trouble he’s in. He’s begun a demanding profession with no idea how it’s done. Desperately in need of tutoring, he submits himself to the direction of a mentor who demands a respect he has never before been willing to give anyone. And to complicate matters he falls for a captivating woman whose love unearths the loss and anger that has haunted him since childhood. After his first chaotic weeks in the classroom, Riley begins to realize how intelligent, talented and engaging his students are. And how at risk because of the perilousness of their circumstances. He finds himself driven to prepare his students for the gritty way that lies ahead. What motivates him is his intense empathy, a trait he sees as a bad habit and everyone else, including the children, understands is basic to who he is. With humor, romance, pathos and wry observations of the customs of an inner city school, the novel follows the transformation of a raw youth into a caring adult.
