Books like 'We Never Asked for Wings'
Readers who enjoyed We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure family realistic literary-fiction drama coming-of-age friendship animals historical-fiction
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So Long, Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsUnlikely road trip companions form an unexpected bond in an uplifting novel about the past—lost and found—by the New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author.Lewis Madigan is young, gay, out of work, and getting antsy when he’s roped into providing end-of-life care for his insufferable homophobic neighbor, Chester Wheeler. Lewis doesn’t need the aggravation, just the money... -
![Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde]()
Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBea has barely been scraping by since her husband died. After falling for a telephone scam, she loses everything and is forced to abandon her trailer. With only two-thirds of a tank in her old van, she heads toward the Pacific Ocean with her cat—on a mission to reclaim what’s rightfully hers, even if it means making others pay for what she lost... -
![Fresh Water for Flowers: A Novel by Valérie Perrin]()
Fresh Water for Flowers: A Novel by Valérie Perrin
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsViolette Toussaint is the caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Bourgogne. Casual mourners, regular visitors, and sundry colleagues—gravediggers, groundskeepers, and a priest—visit her to warm themselves in her lodge, where laughter, companionship, and occasional tears mix with the coffee she offers them. Her life is lived to the rhythms of their funny, moving confidences... -
![The Woman at 72 Derry Lane by Carmel Harrington]()
The Woman at 72 Derry Lane by Carmel Harrington
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTake the warmth and wit of Maeve Binchy and the secrets and twists of a Liane Moriarty and you get the utterly original and compelling voice of Carmel Harrington, a voice that has captured the hearts of readers around the world. Set on a beautiful leafy street in Dublin, the novel explores the unlikely friendship between two neighbours... -
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![The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa]()
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsA life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice, The Travelling Cat Chronicles shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy.We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. But the most important journey is the one that shows us how to follow our hearts . . -
![The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi, سعود السنعوسي]()
The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi, سعود السنعوسي
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsDaring and bold, The Bamboo Stalk takes an unflinching look at the universal struggles of identity, race, and class as they intersect between two disparate societies: Kuwait and the Philippines. Josephine comes to Kuwait from the Philippines to work as a maid, where she meets Rashid, a spoiled but kind-hearted only son...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic 21st-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
![The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata]()
The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPublished in Indonesia in 2005, "The Rainbow Troops," Andrea Hirata's closely autobiographical debut novel, sold more than five million copies, shattering records. Now it promises to captivate audiences around the globe.Ikal is a student at the poorest village school on the Indonesian island of Belitong, where graduating from sixth grade is considered a remarkable achievement... -
![The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse]()
The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom bestselling author Amanda Prowse comes a tale of a blissful life, a happy marriage, a beloved son…and a tragedy that destroys it all. When Rachel Croft wakes up on her family’s boat in Bermuda, it’s to sunshine and yet another perfect day…until she goes to wake her seven-year-old son, Oscar. Because the worst thing imaginable has happened. He isn’t there... -
![A Dog's Hope by Casey Wilson]()
A Dog's Hope by Casey Wilson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThere are some things in life that only a dog can teach you. A poignant, heart-wrenching, but ultimately uplifting novel about the unbreakable bond between a boy and his dog. Perfect for fans of A Dog’s Purpose, The Art of Racing in the Rain and Marley and Me. In the farming town of Riverside in Washington, Toby Fuller is feeling more alone than ever...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult book -
![Through the Storm by Diane Greenwood Muir]()
Through the Storm by Diane Greenwood Muir
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOnce things start falling apart around Polly Giller, chaos takes over and all she can do is hold on for the ride. Sylvie Donovan has finished school and things are supposed to be rainbows and unicorns. Not in Bellingwood. Her oldest son, Jason, has just started high school and isn't handling the transition well... -
![Wish Me Home by Kay Bratt]()
Wish Me Home by Kay Bratt
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn her first work of contemporary women’s fiction, bestselling author Kay Bratt draws on her own life experiences to create a raw, yet inescapably warm, novel about friendship and a wary heart’s unexpected capacity to love. A hungry, stray dog is the last thing Cara Butter needs. Stranded in Georgia with only her backpack and a few dwindling dollars, she already has too much baggage... -
![Leaving Blythe River by Catherine Ryan Hyde]()
Leaving Blythe River by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde returns with an unforgettable story of courage. Seventeen-year-old Ethan Underwood is totally unprepared to search for his father in the Blythe River National Wilderness. Not only is he small, scrawny, and skittish but he’s barely speaking to the man after a traumatic betrayal...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction survival action-adventure -
![The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman, Carlotta Brentan]()
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman, Carlotta Brentan
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratings13 hours, 15 minutesA trio of second-born daughters set out to break the family curse that says they’ll never find love on a whirlwind journey through the lush Italian countryside by New York Times bestseller Lori Nelson Spielman, author of The Life List...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
![Martin Marten by Brian Doyle]()
Martin Marten by Brian Doyle
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDave is fourteen years old, eager, and headlong. He is about to start high school, which is scary and alluring. Martin is a pine marten, a small, muscled hunter of the deep woods. He is about to leave home for the first time, which is scary and thrilling...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age family literary-fiction realistic action-adventure anthropomorphism audiobook -
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![Searching for David's Heart: A Christmas Story by Cherie Bennett]()
Searching for David's Heart: A Christmas Story by Cherie Bennett
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen her older brother, David, dies in an accident, Darcy feels responsible for his death. Then she meets the boy who received David's heart in an organ transplant, and learns that life truly does go on.A journey of faith, hope, and love.Life at Darcy's house isn't always easy. Money is tight, and her parents argue a lot...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family female-mc friendship realistic 20th-century action-adventure -
![Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen]()
Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings3:47 a.m. That's when they come for Wren Clemens. She's hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who've gone so far off the rails, their parents don't know what to do with them any more. This is wilderness therapy camp... -
![Hope Is Lost by Emma James, Alizon Duckwall]()
Hope Is Lost by Emma James, Alizon Duckwall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” -Jimi Hendrix Keanu Lee, the funny man, finds himself on the sticky end of a night out with his best friend Levi. Keanu's life is about to take another unexpected, sharp turn. New friends will be found under the most unique circumstances... -
![I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Wertz Garvin]()
I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Wertz Garvin
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA road trip can drive anyone over the edge—especially two former best friends—in bestselling author Ann Garvin’s funny and poignant novel about broken bonds, messy histories, and the power of forgiveness.Widowed Samantha Arias hasn’t spoken to Holly Dunfee in forever. It’s for the best. Samantha prefers to avoid conflict. The blisteringly honest Holly craves it...Categorized as:
animals drama family female-mc friendship literary-fiction realistic action-adventure -
![The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen]()
The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsShortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award‘A therapeutic dose of high-strength emotion’ GUARDIAN Augusta Hope has never felt like she fits in.At six, she’s memorising the dictionary. At seven, she’s correcting her teachers. At eight, she spins the globe and picks her favourite country on the sound of its name: Burundi...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult audiobook -
![The Girls from Sandycove by Siân O'Gorman]()
The Girls from Sandycove by Siân O'Gorman
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA mother and daughter adrift, a friend in need, and a village to really call home… When Kate O’Hare discovers she’s about to become a mother, she packs up her life in France to return home to regroup and put down some roots... -
![The Havoc of Choice by Wanjiru Koinange]()
The Havoc of Choice by Wanjiru Koinange
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings2007, KenyaLong held captive by her father’s shadow of corruption, Kavata has spent her life suffocated by political machinations. When her husband decides to run in the next election, these shadows threaten to consume her home. Unable to bear this darkness,Kavata plots to escape. As her family falls apart, so too does her country...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction family female-mc fiction politics contemporary corruption -
![The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson]()
The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA triumphant and touching debut about the unlikeliest superstar you’ll ever meet.Twelve-year-old Norman Foreman and his best friend, Jax, are a legendary comedic duo in waiting, with a plan to take their act all the way to the Edinburgh Fringe. But when Jax dies, Norman decides the only fitting tribute is to perform at the festival himself. The problem is, Norman’s not the funny one. Jax was...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship family literary-fiction female-mc fiction contemporary audiobook -
![Everything Is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels]()
Everything Is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn Immersive Story of Music, Struggle, and Starting Over from an Award-Winning AuthorMichael Sullivan is a talented lyricist and a decent guitarist, but since he was kicked out of his band (and his apartment), he's not sure he'll ever get a record deal. Living with his loser uncle in a beat-up trailer and working a dead-end job, Michael has little reason to hope for a better future...Categorized as:
historical-fiction coming-of-age friendship family drama female-mc literary-fiction romance -
![Elephant Secret by Eric Walters]()
Elephant Secret by Eric Walters
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWe Bought a Zoo meets Jurassic Park in a gripping story set in an elephant sanctuary, featuring the perennial appeal of human-animal friendships.Samantha (Sam) lives at the elephant sanctuary her dad runs and views the elephants there as much a part of her family as her single dad is... -
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![My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano]()
My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA story of first friendship.she is my best friend i think i never had a best friend so i’m not sure but i think she is a really good best friend because when we were drawing she drew me and i drew her... -
![Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner]()
Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the tradition of Jack London, Seth Kantner presents an Alaska far removed from majestic clichés of exotic travelogues and picture postcards. Kantner’s vivid and poetic prose lets readers experience Cutuk Hawcly’s life on the Alaskan plains through the character’s own words — feeling the pliers pinch of cold and hunkering in an igloo in blinding blizzards...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age family literary-fiction realistic survival action-adventure book -
![Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London]()
Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFroggy's mother knows that everyone's nervous on the first day of school. "Not me!" says Froggy, and together they leapfrog to the bus stop -- flop flop flop. Froggy's exuberant antics, complete with sound effects, will delight his many fans and reassure them that school can be fun."This is a great read-aloud with sounds and words that encourage active participation... -
![The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby]()
The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGirl Online meets Wild in this emotionally charged story of girl who takes to the wilderness to rediscover herself and escape the superficial persona she created on social media.Mari Turner’s life is perfect. That is, at least to her thousands of followers who have helped her become an internet starlet... -
![The Lost Girls of Ireland by Susanne O'Leary]()
The Lost Girls of Ireland by Susanne O'Leary
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA heart-warming story about family secrets and one woman’s escape to dreamy Sandy Cove on the stunning west coast of Ireland.The picturesque beach of Wild Rose Bay is the last place Lydia Butler thought she’d be. But having just lost everything, the run-down cottage she inherited from her Great Aunt Nellie is the only place she can take her daughter, Sunny...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship literary-fiction realistic action-adventure adult audiobook -
![After the Storm by Lauren Brooke]()
After the Storm by Lauren Brooke
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHeartland is a horse farm nestled in the hills of Virginia, but it's much more than that. Heartland is like no other place - it's a place where the scars of the past can be healed, a place where frightened and abused horses learn to trust again.Amy hasn't seen Spartan since the accident - that stormy night that changed their lives forever. Now Spartan is coming to Heartland...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age drama family female-mc realistic 21st-century action-adventure -
![One Good Dog by Susan Wilson]()
One Good Dog by Susan Wilson
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAdam March is a self-made Master of the Universe. He has it all: the beautiful wife, the high-powered job, the glittering circle of friends. But there is a price to be paid for all these trappings, and the pressure is mounting—until the day Adam makes a fatal mistake. His assistant leaves him a message with three words: your sister called...Categorized as:
animals drama family female-mc friendship literary-fiction realistic action-adventure -
![The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low]()
The Rise by Shari King, Shari Low
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen we bury our secrets, they always come back to haunt us...Their rise was meteoric.Only a few years before, they had been three friends from Glasgow, just trying to survive tough lives of danger and dysfunction.But on one Hollywood evening in 1993, they were on the world’s biggest stage, accepting their Oscar in front of the watching world.That night was the beginning of their careers... -
![Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts]()
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsTalk about unlucky sevens. An hour ago, seventeen-year-old, seven months pregnant Novalee Nation was heading for California with her boyfriend. Now she finds herself stranded at a Wal-Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma, with just $7.77 in change...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
![Another's Child: A Gripping Novel by Einat Danon]()
Another's Child: A Gripping Novel by Einat Danon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsImagine inheriting a child that you don’t even know! One morning, Yael and Arik Katz are startled by a surprise inheritance: Noa, the ten-year-old daughter of Canadian friends with whom they had made a long-forgotten will-exchange agreement, is delivered to their doorstep with no warning...Categorized as:
family drama literary-fiction female-mc romance contemporary fiction action-adventure -
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![An Amish Cradle by Beth Wiseman]()
An Amish Cradle by Beth Wiseman
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTiny fingers, Tiny toes, And lives that will never be the same. Journey with four families as their lives are about to change forever. "In His Father s Arms" by Beth Wiseman Ruth Anne has been dreaming about motherhood her entire life. Now she is doubly excited that she and her best friend are due with their children the same week...Categorized as:
drama family female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult anthologies -
![The Daisy Picker by Roisin Meaney]()
The Daisy Picker by Roisin Meaney
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Daisy Picker is a warm and engaging read — everyone can relate to the idea of wanting to change your life! Lizzie seems to have it all: loving parents, a nice creative sideline in mouth-watering cakes, and the most eligble man in Kilmorris waiting to marry her. But one day she stumbles across something that will change her life...Categorized as:
female-mc friendship literary-fiction action-adventure adult book contemporary fiction -
![Cent millions d'années et un jour by Jean-Baptiste Andrea]()
Cent millions d'années et un jour by Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings‘On the mountain, the only monsters are the ones you take with you.’Summer 1954. Stan has been hunting for fossils since the age of six. Now, having made a career out of studying the remains of tiny lifeforms, he hears a story he cannot forget: the skeleton of a huge creature, a veritable dragon, lies deep in an Alpine glacier. And he is determined to find it...Categorized as:
historical-fiction drama literary-fiction fiction action-adventure contemporary fantasy book -
![How Not to Disappear by Clare Furniss]()
How Not to Disappear by Clare Furniss
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOur memories are what make us who we are. Some are real. Some are made up. But they are the stories that tell us who we are. Without them we are nobody.Hattie's summer isn't going as planned. Her two best friends have abandoned her: Reuben has run off to Europe to 'find himself" and Kat is in Edinburgh with her new girlfriend...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family realistic friendship drama historical-fiction romance young-adult -
![Taking Flight by Adrian R. Magnuson]()
Taking Flight by Adrian R. Magnuson
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJeremy Walsh’s parents assume he’s been abducted by the elderly man he met on a cross-country flight, but it’s the other way around...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama friendship literary-fiction action-adventure book contemporary fiction -
![Blue Skies by Robyn Carr]()
Blue Skies by Robyn Carr
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratings11 hours, 19 minutes Nikki Burgess has survived a terrible marriage and an even worse divorce. And she's just about given up hope of ever finding love and happiness. But when her ex-husband suddenly dies, she gets custody of her kids again and a chance to start over and do it right. Dixie McPherson, on the other hand, has had way too much love... -
![The Risk Pool by Richard Russo]()
The Risk Pool by Richard Russo
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Risk Pool is a thirty-year journey through the lives of Sam Hall, a small-town gambling hellraiser, and his watchful, introspective son Ned...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family literary-fiction realistic 20th-century action-adventure book -
![The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall]()
The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"Delightful. . . funny and poignant." --People With a kick like the best hot sauce, this is the laugh-out-loud story of a girl determined to keep up with her aging, crazy-as-a-fox mother"If you ever pined for a mother who would take a hunting falcon as her wingman to a parent-teacher conference, Polly is the gal for you. Delicious...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
![Yugoslavia, My Fatherland by Goran Vojnović]()
Yugoslavia, My Fatherland by Goran Vojnović
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Vladan Borojević googles the name of his father Nedelko, a former officer in the Yugoslav People’s Army, supposedly killed in the civil war after the decay of Yugoslavia, he unexpectedly discovers a dark family secret...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction drama family realistic fiction contemporary audiobook -
![A Girl Within a Girl Within a Girl by Nanda Reddy]()
A Girl Within a Girl Within a Girl by Nanda Reddy
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA girl takes on a series of identities to survive, shrouding herself in layer upon layer of secrets, until one morning years later when she is forced to reckon with her past."This debut is a beautiful, if sometimes harrowing, exploration of one woman’s journey. . . to a life built by her own grit and determination." -Library Journal, Starred Review...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction coming-of-age female-mc family fiction contemporary audiobook -
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![Larger Than Life by Jodi Picoult]()
Larger Than Life by Jodi Picoult
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Storyteller and My Sister’s Keeper, comes a gripping and beautifully written novella, now available exclusively as an eBook. Set in the wilds of Africa, Larger Than Life introduces Alice, the unforgettable character at the center of Picoult’s anticipated new novel, Leaving Time...Categorized as:
animals drama family female-mc friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
![Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson]()
Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen eleven-year-old Jack Martel crawls out of his pup tent on the first morning of his camping trip with his mom in Acadia National Park, he notices right away that something isn’t right. Where is his mom’s tent, and their rental car? And where is his mom? Any other kid might panic, might even go to the police. But Jack isn’t like other kids. And his mom isn’t like other moms... -
![Torn Away by Jennifer Brown]()
Torn Away by Jennifer Brown
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this... -
![The Turning Point by Freya North]()
The Turning Point by Freya North
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThere are moments in life that define us. What matters is how we choose to carry on. Two single parents, Scott and Frankie, meet by chance. Their homes are thousands of miles apart: Frankie lives somewhat chaotically with her children on the shoreline of North Norfolk, while Scott’s life is in the mountains of British Columbia... -
![Greyhound by Steffan Piper]()
Greyhound by Steffan Piper
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratings12-year-old Sebastien Ranes is taking a trip. He doesn't exactly understand why, but he accepts it. His mother often seems too emotionally detached to care for him. Her latest boyfriend Dick takes cruel pleasure in mimicking the boy’s stuttering, and wants to live his life without "somebody else's kid" getting in the way. So it's no surprise when they pack his bags to send him away... -
![Lean On Pete by Willy Vlautin]()
Lean On Pete by Willy Vlautin
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFifteen-year-old Charley Thompson wants a home, food on the table, and a high school he can attend for more than part of a year. But as the son of a single father working in warehouses across the Pacific Northwest, Charley's been pretty much on his own. When tragic events leave him homeless weeks after their move to Portland, Oregon, Charley seeks refuge in the tack room of a run-down horse track...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age drama family literary-fiction realistic survival action-adventure
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