At first glance, 12-year-old Billy Gavin and 17-year-old John “Bearman” Redell seem to be unlikely allies. Billy is an underconfident city kid, while the Bearman (named for his skill in tracking bears in the woods) has never learned to read, and lives more or less off the land. But the two boys have one thing in common: they’ve both run away from abusive parents.

When circumstances bring them together, Billy and the Bearman set up a camp, vowing never to return to the life of violence that haunts them. But the real test of their courage and endurance comes when they decide to look for a rodeo cowboy whose plane has crashed and who is lost in the mountains. This heroic act is a step toward healing for both boys: it begins to replace the terrible memories with some more life-giving ones.

This is a well-written novel with plenty of action and adventure. Alberta author David A. Poulsen (who, among other things, is a former rodeo competitor as well as the writer of four other novels for young adults) provides a healthy balance in the story – even during moments of great tension there is understanding and humour. Poulsen writes convincingly of the two boys’ desperation to escape the violence at home, and of their hope that they will make a better life for themselves. Young readers will find the boys’ decision to take responsibility for their lives heartening. This could have been a depressing story, but instead it’s rather inspiring. The fast-moving plot and the likable characters will appeal to boys and girls, and the story will engage reluctant readers as well as avid ones.