by Paula Fox
First published 2002
Ned Wallis lives in a Hudson Valley town during the 1930s where his father serves as the local minister. When Ned receives a new air rifle, he takes a shot that goes wrong and injures a stray cat. The wounded animal loses an eye from the accident. Ned keeps his mistake hidden from his family and neighbors. An elderly man who lives nearby begins talking with Ned and becomes his friend. The old neighbor needs help with daily tasks as his health declines. Ned watches the injured cat struggle to survive while he wrestles with his guilt. He must decide whether to confess what he did or continue carrying the burden alone. The boy learns that caring for others requires courage and honesty about his own actions.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, guilt, redemption
Setting: Hudson Valley
Period: 1930s
224 pages · Hardcover · Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books