Every Boy Should Have a Man

By: Preston L. Allen

Narrated by: Michael McConnohie

Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting, poignant satire of societal ills, with an added dose of fantasy, Every Boy Should Have a Man takes place in a post-human world, where creatures called oafs keep humanlike "mans" as beloved pets. One day, a poor boy oaf brings home a man, whom he hides under his bed, in the hopes his parents won't find out. When the man is discovered, the boy admits it is not his - but the boy is no delinquent. Despite the accusations being hurled at him, he's telling the truth when he says he found the man wandering aimlessly in the bramble. Nevertheless, he must return the man to his rightful owner. But when the heartbroken boy comes home from school one afternoon, he finds wrapped up in red ribbon a female man with a note around her neck: "Every boy should have a man. You're a fine son. Love, Dad."

Thus begins Every Boy Should Have a Man, Preston L. Allen's picaresque journey into uncharted territory in earth, sky, and firmament. This audiobook traces the story of the boy and his three "mans," Brown Skin who is not his, the tragic Red Sleeves who has no voice, and her quick-witted daughter Red Locks, whose epic journey takes her from the backbreaking drudgery of the mines, to the perils of the battlefield, to the savagery of cannibalism.

Oafs and mans each gain insight and understanding into one another's worlds, and the worlds that touch theirs - ultimately showing that oafs and mans share a common "humanity." Filled with surprising twists and turns, this audiobook is in part a morality tale that takes on many of today's issues, including poverty, the environment, sexism, racism, war, and religion, all in lighthearted King James prose.

©2013 Preston L. Allen (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

A good book for young pet owners

As I read this book and I became involved in what was happening to the young boy, that really wanted a pet. Then watched him Become careless of his pets and then when he lost his first pet, he acquires and second one. This one he was completely careless with and as the story goes you find yourself feeling hopelessness for the little pets. I do like the book and I made my young boy listen to it. Mostly because he had tendencies to feel that anything he did to the pets they didn’t really have feelings like humans. I like the book. I found myself thinking about it and discussing it with other people long after I had read it.

Planet of the Oafs

This books is totally nuts!

Here’s the story of a boy and his “man.” “Mans” are pets in this world and can be male or female. There are different kinds, high class, low class, ones that talk and ones that don’t. “Mans” must be fed, walked, licensed and cared for.

It’s fascinating to pick up the different themes in the story--animal abuse, racism, civilization versus primitivism, and to puzzle out what kind of creatures the boy and his family are.

This story, and particularly this straight-laced, authoritative reading by Michael McConnohie, comes off like both a parable and a fairy tale, recalling “Planet of the Apes,” and Ray Bradbury.