First published 1973
The boy has waited years for this moment. He finally has a dog of his own, a companion he's dreamed about through countless days working the poor country land his family calls home. But their lives depend on the whims of the man who owns everything around them. The landowner controls not just the acres they work but every decision that matters. When he declares the dog cannot stay, the boy faces an impossible choice. His father depends on this job. Their survival hangs on staying in the landowner's good graces. Yet giving up the dog means surrendering the one thing that belongs truly to him. Armstrong places a young person at the center of adult conflicts over power and survival. The story examines what happens when economic dependence strips away basic freedoms and forces families to sacrifice what they love most.
Genres: fiction, family-life, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: sacrifice, survival
Period: 20th-century
115 pages · Paperback · Doubleday