Book Description

Set in Washington, D.C. during the turbulent 1980s, Rich Boy Cries for Momma is a coming of age novel told from the perspective of the good son turned teenage punk rocker. While the so-called nice kids of the Washington elite bully and reject the teenager because of his dyslexia, the punk rock scene accepts him as he is. This fast-paced story pulls us into the teenager’s dangerous and erratic new world filled with violence and drugs, yet funny and touching. A disparate cast of characters - from the rich, powerful and successful to the beaten, broken and besmirched - become entangled in the punk rock subculture. We follow alongside the somewhere-in-between teenager as he wades through his learning disability and relationships that sometimes betray his perceptions, sometimes break his heart and sometimes save his life. Minsker has arranged Rich Boy Cries for Momma chronologically, basing it on the life and experiences of the narrator as he journeys from adolescence into adulthood. The story follows the narrator as he ages from 11 to 20 years, his growth and education influenced by the events of his time and his perception of those events. Through the teenager's life experiences, the concepts of class and social status, good and evil, and the existence of a moral and social order are all examined, as the teen speculates upon his own personal beliefs and his place in the universe. Minsker uses a smooth linear narrative structure and a conversational writing style, with vivid characters, making the story fast-paced and highly readable. A biting, witty sense of humor entwines and overlays the serious, often tragic, events that unfold in the book. Rich Boy Cries for Momma features ink and paper drawings that capture the essence of DC in the 1980s. The book also contains the lyrics of more than two dozen songs of the hard-core punk rock bands of that era.