Walter McCloud is a 15 year-old boy who has the desire to become a professionally-recognized ballet dancer. He has been dancing for several years and has two best friends, Susan and Mitch, who dance as well.
Walter's family consists of his father, mother and one older brother named Daniel. Together, Walter's extended family owns a large lakeside estate, which gets passed down from generation to generation.
Right about now, you're probably thinking, "So What?" However, these are all important elements of the story. Allow me to further explain.
Walter's friends, Susan and Mitch, are dating. Walter has a very intense reaction to Susan. He is very envious of her because she is dating Mitch. It turns out that Walter is very attracted to Mitch.
Walter's home life is also a bit strained. His older brother, Daniel, is dying of cancer. As his parents try to cope, they leave Walter out of the picture. He doesn't even know how serious Daniel's condition is until the inevitable end.
Lake Margaret is where Walter's family spends their holidays. It is a large house with generations of family history. It is probably the only thing that keeps the family together, and that's about to be threatened. Walter's aunt, the largest shareholder, wants to sell the house. This is making waves in the family.
All of these events occur in 1972-73. Walter is beginning to realize that he doesn't have the gift or build to be a great dancer. When most boys are developing crushes on girls, Walter is secretly in love with his friend, Mitch. On top of all these feelings, Walter also has to deal with the eminent death of his brother.
The Short History of a Prince also examines Walter's life in 1995-96 when he is in his late 30's. In his older years, Walter looks back at his tumultuous adolescence. He wonders how he arrived where he is today. He used to live in New York City, but now he is a high school English teacher in Otten, Wisconsin. Can Walter's past help him determine his future?
If I ever have the opportunity to meet Jane Hamilton, I would like to ask her who the "prince" is in this story. There are actually two possibilities. It could be Walter, who was the prince in a presentation of The Nutcracker and ended his career early. However, I feel the prince could also be Daniel whose life was cut short by cancer.
If truth be told, I didn't exactly warm up to the character of Walter. I thought he was slightly arrogant and selfish for the way he treated Daniel and others. I also thought he was on the whiney side, but that didn't deter from my enjoyment of the book.
This is the third of Jane Hamilton's books that I have read. I didn't really care for her first work, The Book of Ruth. As stated in another review, I thoroughly enjoyed A Map of the World.
I can say I liked The Short History of a Prince as well. The characters are refreshingly different and real. The story was well written and kept my interest page after page. I highly recommend this Jane Hamilton work.
