Albert Campbell District Blog

Room: a novel by Emma Donoghue        

Imagine being born and raised in an 11 X 11 foot converted shed where you spend every minute of every day.  Imagine not knowing what fresh air feels like.  That is reality for five-year-old Jack who has spent his entire life in a small enclosed space consisting of a tiny kitchen, bathtub, toilet, bed, wardrobe, and television.  This is all Jack knows of the world.  To him everything he sees on TV is fantasy, and the only people who exist in the “real” world are himself, Ma, and Old Nick.  In Jack’s universe food appears magically during the night, “Sundaytreat” is the highlight of the week, and gym class consists of running around a coffee table.

What Jack doesn’t know is that Ma has another name and was once a young college student with her whole life ahead of her.  Then one day she is abducted and held captive for seven years in an outdoor bunker.  After learning that Old Nick has been unemployed for months and experiencing his extreme cruelty in cutting off the electricity to the shed and not bringing food for days, Ma decides that immediate action must be taken to escape their horrific situation.  Waiting for Jack to get older and stronger is no longer an option.  She devises an elaborate plan to escape Old Nick, but is not prepared for how difficult life is in the outside world for her and especially for Jack, whose life is turned upside down by all the change.

Room by Emma Donoghue is both disturbing and inspiring, and will leave readers with a new appreciation for the everyday freedoms we take for granted.   The book is written from the perspective of Jack.  His childish innocence makes the book all the more heartbreaking for readers.  Listening to Jack describe hiding in the wardrobe while Old Nick visits his Ma at night and having to “count till he makes that gaspy sound and stops,” is extremely difficult as a reader.  Despite the sadness inherent to the narrative, Donoghue is somehow able to balance the horrifying aspects of the story with uplifting moments.  Jack’s triumph is saving himself and his Ma, and his determination to try to understand the outside world makes this book a memorable and emotionally-satisfying read.