In Search of the Boy's God

“As long as you have the drive to make discoveries, move forward, and open up the unknown—then that boyish god is with you,” radio operator Boris once told Vanya. But how do you find such a boyish god? Especially here—in Arctic cold, in the middle of nowhere, where Vanya spends the longest summer of his life.

Everyone is normal: in July they leave for the sea, for a warm beach. But his father suddenly decided to take a vacation in the North. In the settlement of Tsypnavolok, on a single street—there are no shops, no Wi-Fi with mobile connection, no smooth asphalt strip for a skate. Only old, leaning houses; bored workers; sunken ships tossed onto the shore… Though maybe the sunken ship is still interesting: Vanya overcame his fear, slipped inside early in the morning, and it was as if he understood what Boris meant. Or maybe not?

Scattered across the pages of this book are numerous hints about where and how to look for your boyish god—what it might be, and how not to lose touch with it. Dmitry Ishchenko’s story is, of course, not a collection of practical advice for lost teenagers, but rather an inspiring and surprisingly cinematic tale about the inevitable end of childhood. Three months on the picturesque coast of the Barents Sea become an inexhaustible source of experience for the main character—and knowledge about himself.

Dmitry Ishchenko’s name is not yet very well known to readers, but in his debut book you can find such breadth of thinking that is typical of classic children’s authors. And the vivid panoramas of the northern nature, so rich in the story, are reminiscent of the paintings of director Andrey Zvyagintsev. The writer lives in Murmansk and at different times worked as a journalist, screenwriter, and director of documentaries. His story «Teriberka» was on the shortlist for the I. P. Belkin Prize, and «In Search of the Boyish God» made the shortlist for the «New Children’s Book» literary competition.