Pax, Journey Home

Series: Pax, Book 2

By: Sara Pennypacker / Narrated By: Michael Curran-Dorsano

Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins

Jeez, and I thought the first book made me cry…!

There’d been no hint of it; I’d thought Pax was the first, middle, end of the story. But then I was scrolling through New Releases this September of 2021, and waaaaay baaaack, after all the well-known authors’ offerings, here it was: Pax, Journey Home, what with it’s glorious 4 1/2 hour runtime, and what with the beautiful illustrated cover by Jon Klassen. And what was this? On the cover, foxes and younguns?

Surely this would be yet aNOTHer wonder of a story by author Sara Pennypacker (What a name! Does it not shriek: I Can Write Magical Stories for Kids?). And indeed, it does start off so with Pax a year after his last and final meeting with his Boy. It’s Spring, and he’s running to his mate, Bristle, and all is blooming, the earth sending up gorgeous scents. But what’s this? Dead animals, dead nestlings everywhere?

And thus Pennypacker leads us into the world where the last story ended: A world near-destroyed by a war that devastated and poisoned the landscape, the world of Men, the world of Animals. Even so, there is Hope as Pax runs to Bristle, as she gives birth to their kits. Each kit has its own personality, but there’s a little vixen who is just soooo curious, soooo full of life and wonder that she’s constantly being tugged back lest she harm herself.

Then we’re off to Peter’s chapter where he’s back with Vola, the woman who lives on her own, a leg lost to the war, a stalwart and staid woman who has opened her heart to Peter. But Peter’s not having it, as now we see that he’s been well and truly orphaned, his father having died in the war. There’d been some bitterness between the two, father and son, due to father’s having made Peter betray and abandon Pax. An uneasy truce, but p’raps resolution, p’raps a peace after their reunion, a coming together.

And then father’s death.

Peter has had enough. When Vola opens her heart? When she makes him the offer of a permanent home, Peter discovers his own heart closed, rock hard, silent and cold. He’s off like a shot, saying he plans to join the Water Warriors, young people devoted to cleaning the rivers and streams that were poisoned after years of warfare.

A mishap with Pax and his little daughter; a meeting between Peter and two Water Warriors, and we have the setup of our story. Pax and his daughter in trouble, and the scent of his Boy with two others who smell of Peace. Pax is on the move as the Boy is the only answer he can find for saving his daughter. But Peter’s on the move, being challenged by two people who very much love each other, two people who very much care for Peter.

And brother, sister, I was danged near crying at soooo many points in this story. Cuz Peter is hardened by pure and simple pain, pure and simple grief. In his very young life, love has simply meant loss. And he does NOT mean to go through ANY of that again.

Just as Pennypacker captures the essence of Fox Language, so does she capture the essence of Human Suffering, Human Grief. And narrator Michael Curran-Dorsano turns in another heart-wrenching performance, inflections in all the right places, cut off sorrow and suffering where it’s oh so very clear. And okay okay okay: It went beYONd near crying and entered outright stray tears here and there. Curran-Dorsano IS Peter in all his confusion; he IS Pax filled with fear and Hope. Peter’s suffering is real, and Pax’s trust, whether or not it’s justified or misplaced (Peter knows better than to let love in) is sooo well done. Bravo, sir!

This is TOTALLY a guide to the grieving process as Pennypacker takes us to some pretty dark places. Throw in an apocalyptic environment, and this is very much a lesson to the kiddos (And the grownup who hit the Play button!) about the dark turns that are part and parcel of Life on a planet that sometimes is NOT fair, a world where it takes a great deal of Faith and action to clean up what’s left behind after strife, to learn to live fully after such profound emotional suffering.

Beautiful, simply beautiful with hard issues being tackled head-on and with lyrical grace.

It’s just that oh jeez… Did I HAVE to cry yet again?