Twelve-year-old Foster knows in his gut that Dax Ganey, the man dating his widowed mother, is a bad seed. Then a mysterious stranger arrives at their Alabama farm, a former Army Ranger in Iraq rambling across the country, and Foster believes he has found an ally against Dax. The stranger proves a fascinating mentor, full of wisdom and secrets. And Dax soon has reason to resent not just him and Foster but also Foster's mother. A spurned Dax will be a dangerous enemy, but Foster is increasingly aware that the stranger is just as dangerous, if not more so. From the author of one of the most highly acclaimed children's survival adventures of the last decade comes this tautly wound new novel reminiscent of classic westerns, about a boy caught in the middle of a clash that may turn out to be his own battle to fight. This title has Common Core connections.

ワット・キーが描く本作は、少年の魂が揺れ動く瞬間の美しさと残酷さを凝縮した傑作です。南部アラバマの閉塞感の中で、悪意に満ちた男と謎めいた元兵士という二つの暴力の狭間に立たされる主人公。彼が直面するのは、誰を信じ、何を強さと定義すべきかという、極めて根源的で文学的な問いに他なりません。 古典的ウェスタンの構造を現代に蘇らせた緊迫感は圧巻です。暴力の予感に満ちた静寂、そして守るべきもののために少年が覚悟を決める瞬間の葛藤。静謐な文体の中に潜む爆発寸前のエネルギーが、読者の本能を激しく揺さぶります。言葉の重みそのものが物語の推進力となる、純度の高い読書体験がここにあります。