Things are gonna get rough. Beck is the product of a loveless and brief encounter between his poor mother and an African sailor in Liverpool in the early 1900s. After his mother dies Beck is sent to Canada to a group called The Catholic Brothers which is just as terrifying as it sounds. Abused at the home, Beck is sent to work as a farmhand where he's treated like one of the animals. Beck powers through, though, and what follows is a beautifully written tale of extreme hardship and true grit. Eventually, Beck finds Grace, a woman that understands at least part of his hardships. With Grace Beck finds a glimmer of hope in what has been a cruel and heartless world. I loved this book, even when it was hard to read sometimes. Peet creates a character that survives against all odds and projects volumes without barely saying a word. There's been a lot of controversy about this being nominated for the Carnegie Award and the graphic description of abuse and sex. I get that, I wouldn't hand this to an 11 year old. It's for older teens in my opinion. Some have said it's just for adults and I disagree. If an older teen reads this they'll still be here in the morning and they'll be better off for reading it. An amazing tale that should not be missed.
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