Book 02: Pax, “a book about a pet character”

When you start reading Pax, you feel that everything in this story is unusual. It seems out of place, much like the events in our lives. Peter is a twelve-year-old boy, and when he was about seven he saved Pax, a fox, from certain death. But now there is a war coming. Peter’s dad enlists himself voluntarily in the army. He does this even though he is not so young anymore. This profoundly changes Peter’s life. He is supposed to go live with his grandfather, whom he barely knows. All of this happens while his father is fighting.

The pain of abandoning a pet

Pax is a pet, yes. He is a great companion to Peter, his boy. They are inseparable. But he is also a fox. He is naturally meant to be living in the wild. His father tells Peter to make the rational decision. He should let go of the fox and allow him to go back to nature. There, he can live as it was intended. In the middle of all the madness, that is the logical thing to do, right? Well, that is what happens, but it doesn’t seem so right anymore, the very second after Pax is abandoned. Both Peter and Pax then embark in a journey to try to find each other.

The fight against human nature

We are used to seeing representation of foxes in literature as cunning animals, prepared to deceive, thieves, etc., pretty much taking up the lead from Aesop and his Fables. But in this story, the humans are the ones portrayed in a more unflattering light. They are the ones who deceive, go to war, and kill for no reason. And that is the fight that Peter wages against himself. He sees the examples of adults in his life. His dad shows him anger. His grandpa shows him detachment. He struggles not to be like them. “The men in our family–I guess our apples don’t fall far from the tree, eh?” his grandpa asks him. He also encounters Vola, who has her own issues. She tries to help him figure out his problems and eventually find his own way. Will he manage to win this war against his nature?

Peter and Pax look for eac

The narrative alternates between the viewpoints of Peter and Pax. On his side Pax is also trying to get back to Peter. He faces several obstacles and delays. On his journey, he meets other foxes. These include the adorable Runt, Bristle, his sister, and Gray, an older fox who also lived with humans when young. His own nature comes to the surface. He starts socializing with the wild foxes. He hunts, fights, and does everything needed to survive. This is crucial, especially in the middle of a war.

This is a sorrowful adventure that deals with the themes of friendship, separation, loss, disability, acceptance, survival and death. It is surprising to see all of these in a book intended to a juvenile audience. But it is a very well written story. I have seen testimonials from several parents. They say they read it together with their children. It gave them the opportunity to discuss these subjects in a constructive way. This helped them prepare the young ones for the surprises of life. For this reason, I believe, this is a book that pleases both young and adult readers.