Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern father—as he usually does—and throws Pax’s favorite toy soldier into the woods. When the fox runs to retrieve it, Peter and his dad get back in the car and leave him there—alone. But before Peter makes it through even one night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he packs for a trek to get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to one another against all odds. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Peter and Pax.
My thoughts
This novel straddles the fence between Middle Grade and Young Adult and appeals to a wide readership. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, from both the boy, Peter and his fox Pax. It’s a survival story, a story of determination at the lengths both go to find the other.
Why does this make me feel thankful?
There was something touching about Peter’s relationship with Vola (a woman he meets when he gets injured) and the journey of self-discovery and healing for both of them. While this story had it’s slow moments, and a disappointing yet realistic ending, Pax is one of those books that makes to reflect long after you’ve finished reading.
