An engrossing and at times disturbing account of a boy‘s flight from a family that has - in a most unusual , though uniquely American and believable way - disintegrated. His very survival is central to the story, with a backdrop that in no way romanticises the harsh politics of post-war Nth America. I was mesmerised by Ford‘s use of language which described with poignant accuracy the harsh beauty of the Canadian & mid-western landscape of the USA.