First published 2022
Richard's world crumbles in 1967 when his brother Mark dies in Vietnam and his father loses his job. The family abandons their California home for his grandmother's empty house in Utah, where his parents decide to separate. At his new school, bullies target Richard until Mr. Foster, an elderly neighbor, intervenes and offers him cocoa. Richard bonds with the wise old man who nurtures his passion for reading, and grows close to Foster's dog Gollum. As Christmas nears, the Evans household grows darker and Richard faces a shocking discovery that threatens to destroy what little stability remains. Through Mr. Foster's guidance, Richard discovers that forgiveness can mend the deepest hurts and that love persists beyond grief's grip.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, grief
Setting: California, Utah
Period: 1967, Vietnam War
192 pages · Hardcover · Gallery Books
Content warnings: death