"As a story about community, healing, and family--both human and
animal--this is one of the best."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review. In
this heartfelt animal friendship story, a troubled young boy befriends a
wayward coyote after a forest fire changes both of their lives. Perfect
for fans of A Wolf Called Wander and Pax.
Winner of the 2023 Charlotte Huck Award
Twelve-year-old Gabe doesn't know where he belongs anymore. His family
is caught up in their own lives and his friends barely have time for him
now that they're stars on the soccer team. In a desperate plea for
attention to impress his friends after school, Gabe sets off fireworks
in the woods near his house and causes a small forest fire that destroys
several acres of land.
In the chaos of the destruction, a coyote named Rill--tired of her
family and longing for adventure--finds herself far from home. Already
on animal control's watch for wandering into a backyard and snapping at
a child, Rill crawls into a cave, where she nurses her wounds alone.
Gabe and Rill's paths irrevocably cross when Gabe is tasked with
cleaning up the forest through the court's restorative justice program.
The damage to the land and both their lives is beyond what the two can
imagine. But together, they discover that sometimes it only takes one
friend to find the place where you belong.
