The healer of Harrow Point

Spiritual and metaphysical in its theme, this atmospheric first novel describes an 11-year-old boy's growing awareness of the sacredness of all living things. The story begins as Thomas sees a poacher shoot a deerÄand then sees an old woman touch it and restore it to perfect health. Mesmerized, Thomas seeks out the woman, Emma, and, after struggling with his father's hope that he become a hunter, Thomas undertakes to learn all of Emma's hallowed arts and to inherit Emma's role as "healer." If Emma's wondrous abilities aren't conveyed with particular imagination or delicacy, they are very clearly linked to the recognizable wonders of the natural world. Walpole embeds the mystical elements in lyrical and careful observations of woods, animals and people; he has the rare ability not only to offer fresh descriptions of nature but to do so without impeding the flow of the plot. His writing bears watching. Ages 10-up. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 4-7-In this coming-of-age story, Thomas Singer anticipates his 12th birthday, six weeks hence, with mixed emotion. Long ago, his father promised him his first shotgun and a deer-hunting trip for this birthday. The boy understands that this is a rite of passage in his rural community. Yet, when he sees a deer shot by poachers and meets Emma, who can heal animals with her touch, he begins to question whether or not he can kill one. Along with her mentor, the God-like Carleton Nash, the woman teaches Thomas that there is a basic goodness in all things, and that one should live one's life with the intention to help and to heal. While the values expressed are conveyed a bit heavy-handedly, the author avoids a black-and-white presentation of issues, preferring instead the subtle shades of gray that characterize real life. Thomas's father is not portrayed as a villain. Indeed, he is a responsible and careful hunter who, upon seeing his only child intercept a bullet intended for a deer, gives up hunting altogether. Walpole's first novel is a tender story of love and compassion, of mystery and majesty, written in language that flows smoothly from an older Thomas's first-person reminiscence of this pivotal birthday. Readers are reminded of Jerry Spinelli's Wringer (HarperCollins, 1997). Tender, yet not sappy, and skillfully blending fantasy and real life, this is a fable with a powerful message to ponder, and it will linger long in readers' minds.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.