Patapsco Days
by Robert Hamill

   ‘Patapsco Days’ is a coming-of-age novel. Chet Almon, a high-school senior, faces the possibility that he might be stuck in his neighborhood forever. He fights against the forces that conspire to keep him there. Chet’s intelligence colors his perceptions and reactions. He wants to escape from Patapsco, but partial scholarships aren’t enough. Money is tight.
   The novel itself is a series of interwoven journal entries and short stories. The short stories, written by Chet for his high school English class, show an inquisitive mind trying to understand why things are as they are and how he can make the future what he wants.
   Romantic opportunities, scientific experiments, and racial tensions all complicate Chet’s attempts to make his way to his future.