War is encroaching and we witness first-hand its devastating effects on the natural world. Something else that I really like about Pax is that it doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects. Peter is haunted by the adage “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” his father is a violent, aggressive man and Peter fears that he will turn out the same. This mutual re-habilitation is the basis of another beautifully crafted relationship in the book.Īnother important element of the book is the difficult and fiery relationship between Peter and his father. She provides the succour that Peter has been missing since the death of his mother. Vola nurses Peter and helps him re-gain his mobility and physical strength. Peter draws her out of herself and helps her to reconnect with society. Vola is wrestling with demons from her time at war.
I loved how the relationship between Peter and Vola developed from prickly suspicion to one of trust and respect. He is taken in by Vola, a woman who has deliberately cut herself off from society and lives in the middle of nowhere. Part way into his journey, Peter breaks a bone in his foot. It’s a very real and nuanced relationship. The bond of friendship between Peter and Pax is strong, and their story of separation and reunion is incredibly moving. It’s a decision that Peter immediately regrets and he spends the rest of the book journeying across country to return to his fox. War is coming and Peter is moving to his grandfather’s house. Peter’s father is adamant that they cannot keep the fox. (Pages 1-2.)Īt the start of the story, Peter is forced to abandon Pax by the roadside.
The sharp odours of pine – wood, bark, cones, and needles – slivered through the air like blades, but beneath that, the fox recognised softer clover and wild garlic and ferns, and also a hundred things he had never encountered before but that smelled green and urgent. Pax’s descriptions involve all the senses, rather than just relying on sight, and this brings his world vividly to life.
I particularly enjoyed reading the chapters told from the point of view of the fox. I really liked this approach to the narrative. The book is narrated from the perspectives of Peter and Pax in alternating chapters. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I had been wanting to read it for ages but knew it would break my heart and so I held back. It tells the story of Peter, a 12-year-old boy, and his friendship with Pax, the orphaned fox he took in from when he was a two-week-old pup.
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