It's going to get dusty in whatever room you're reading Pax in right now. When his family is killed as a kit, he's rescued and raised by a boy named Peter. When Peter's father enlists in the army he forces him to live with his grandfather and abandon Pax in the forest. Wracked with guilt, Peter runs away from his grandfather's home and starts to make the trek back to where left Pax - more than three hundred miles away. Along the way Peter gets injured and is helped by Vola, a recluse living in the woods. One-legged and eccentric, Vola teaches Peter to stand up for himself, to listen to his heart and to fight for what he believes is right. In turn, Peter teaches Vola a few things about forgiveness and moving on. The novel alternates between Peter's story and Pax's. Pax encounters Bristle & Runt, two sibling foxes trying to survive in the war torn area in which they live. Pax, having never lived in the wild, is on the brink of starvation and must rely on the help of other foxes in order to live. on top of this, Pax must not stray too far from where "his boy" left him because in his heart he knows that he will see him again one day. Pax is a powerful novel, it's anti-war message with humans who are "war-sick" ravaging the natural beauty of the world is a recurring theme. Peter's story of redemption and coming of age with the equally damaged and self-loathing Vola was, in my opinion, a great read. Pax's encounters with other animals and their style of communication wasn't clunky or forced, Pennypacker made it come across as natural and urgent. You can tell she has done her research on red foxes. I'm late to the game with Pax but it's definitely a modern classic that can be revisited over and over again. Don't miss it.
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