“It’s the summer of 1994 in Claypot, Wisconsin, and the lives of ten-year-old Fischer “Fish” Branson and Dale “Bread” Breadwin are shaped by the two fathers they don’t talk about.
One night, tired of seeing his best friend bruised and terrorized by his no-good dad, Fish takes action. A gunshot rings out and the two boys flee the scene, believing themselves murderers. They head for the woods, where they find their way onto a raft, but the natural terrors of Ironsforge gorge threaten to overwhelm them.
Four adults track them into the forest, each one on a journey of his or her own. Fish’s mother Miranda, a wise woman full of fierce faith; his granddad, Teddy, who knows the woods like the back of his hand; Tiffany, a purple-haired gas station attendant and poet looking for connection; and Sheriff Cal, who’s having doubts about a life in law enforcement.
The adults track the boys toward the novel’s heart-pounding climax on the edge of the gorge and a conclusion that beautifully makes manifest the grace these characters find in the wilderness and one another. This timeless story of loss, hope, and adventure runs like the river itself amid the vividly rendered landscape of the Upper Midwest.” — Amazon’s summary
Fish and Bread have a beautiful friendship, one that can stand strong even after the harshest winds try to rock it. How much they care for each other keeps them going despite how tough it is to do so. Even when they fight, the connection between them lingers beneath the current of anger and it always rises to the surface.
This was a beautiful story about survival, not just over natural elements but also over the storms of your own mind. It’s about struggle, finding strength from your surroundings, whether that means embracing the situation you are in or fully embracing the people in your life, and ultimately overcoming and pushing forward when you thought it was impossible to do so.
For All Story Lovers! 