In the
summer of 1969, fourteen-year-old Lucas Painter carries a huge weight on his
shoulders. His brother is fighting in Vietnam. His embattled parents are
locked in a never-ending war. And his best friend, Connor, is struggling with
his own family issues. To find relief from the chaos, Lucas takes long,
meandering walks, and one day he veers into the woods.
There he discovers an isolated cabin and two huge dogs. Frightened, he
runs. And the dogs run with him. Lucas finds unusual peace in running with
the dogs, and eventually he meets their owner, Zoe Dinsmore. Closed off and
haunted by a tragic past, Zoe has given up. She doesn't want to be saved. She
wants out. But Lucas doesn't want her to go, and he sees an opportunity to
bring more than one friend back into the light. It's either the best or worst
idea he's ever had, but Lucas isn't giving up on Zoe or Connor.
Their unexpected connection might be the saving grace that Zoe thought
she'd lost, that Connor needs, and that Lucas has been running toward.
