Synopses & Reviews
In the spring of 1865 the Civil War has finally ended. Men are coming home. Families are being reunited -- except for Tyler's. His father is going with a band of men to Mexico, where they will regroup, rearm, and continue the fight against the Yankees. Tyler is stunned. For four years he's dreamed of seeing his father again, and he can't let go of that dream. There's only one thing Tyler can do -- go get his father and bring him home. andlt;BRandgt; Tyler starts his trek from Missouri to the Rio Grande alone, but he quickly gains a companion -- a strange dog made mean by cruelty but tamed by hunger and Tyler's desperately lonely need for him. Tyler names him Bigger. andlt;BRandgt; The journey is long and hard but, with Bigger by his side, possible. Tyler might make it all the way to the Rio Grande. He might even find his father. But most importantly, Bigger helps Tyler realize that some dreams might not be worth holding on to.
Review
andlt;Iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/Iandgt; Starred review Thought-provoking, imbued with powerful emotion, and conveying a timeless theme, this is historical fiction at its best.
Synopsis
The book that started the acclaimed trilogy that continues with Sooner and Betrayed! is now a handsome Aladdin Paperbacks edition! The Civil War has ended and families all over the South and the North wait for their men to come home. Twelve-year-old Tyler hasn't seen his father, the dashing Black Jack Bohannon, since he left home at the beginning of the war to join up with General Jo Shelby of the Iron Cavalry Brigade of Missouri. When Tyler learns that General Shelby has refused to surrender to the Yankees and is headed for Mexico with his men, Tyler resolves to find his father and bring him home. The journey is long and hard. But what makes it possible is Bigger, a dog made mean by cruelty but tamed by Tyler's desperately lonely need for him. Bigger's love supports Tyler both in the hope that he'll find his father, and in the heartbreak that follows when Tyler discovers his father doesn't want to come home.