Palmetto Publishing has released The Humming Boy, a debut literary novel by David Cook, set in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
The novel is set in the American Midwest during the 1950s and early 1960s. In the summer of 1964, twelve-year-old Peter Gallagher is driven by his father through rural Minnesota to St. James Military School in Faribault. His parents describe the placement as summer school and a fresh start, but Peter understands that his family no longer knows what to do with him.
Peter’s childhood in St. Paul, once filled with neighborhood games and postwar middle-class routines, has become unstable. Tensions between his parents have deepened, and his curiosity has taken him beyond the boundaries his family expects.
At the military school, Peter confronts the distance between his own identity and the person his family wants him to be. The narrative follows his efforts to manage institutional authority, loneliness, and family fractures while the question of whether the family can repair itself remains unresolved.
Author statement#
Cook said the story draws on his childhood in the Midwest and his 35 years of work with children and families as a mental health professional.
“This story grew out of my own childhood memories in the Midwest and the many children and families I worked with over thirty-five years as a mental health professional. I wanted to offer readers an honest look at how families in the 1950s and 1960s responded when they were under real stress, and how a child copes, adapts and ultimately finds a way to rejoin the people he loves.”
Author background#
Cook is a retired clinical social worker with 35 years of experience. His clinical career included work with young people navigating disruption, loss, and the search for belonging. The novel is a fictional composite shaped by Cook’s childhood recollections and his work with children and families. He serves on the board of a community mental health center and consults with providers on special projects. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Deb.
Publication details#
- Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
- Publication date: July 7, 2026
- ISBN-13: 9798318830334, 9798318830327, 9798318830341
- Available online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com
