Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Book of the Week: 16 June 2019

Set in the USA during an un-named war, Pax is the story of the bond between Peter and Pax, his pet fox. Peter’s mother has died and his father has to leave to carry out cable-laying for the army. His father says Pax will be safer if returned to the wild so, on their way to Peter’s grandad’s where he is to stay whilst his father is away, they leave Pax by the roadside. Once Peter gets to his grandfather’s he decides this was the wrong thing to do and runs away to find Pax. Here, the story splits into two narratives: Pax’s and Peter’s. Pax has to negotiate the unfamiliar world of the wild which, having been a tame pet, he is unsuited for. Peter is similarly alone in war-torn and evacuated country, until he fractures his foot and has to take refuge in a woodland cabin with a reclusive woman called Vola. The odds against Pax and Peter ever being reunited seem stacked against them.

This is a gripping adventure and likely to be enjoyed not just by those who love animal stories. It is about love, friendship, the getting of wisdom and finding out where you belong in life.