Description

Carnegie Medal-winner Katya Balen returns with a stunning tale about a fractured bond between father and son – and the injured bird that helps to heal it.

When Noah’s dad visits from New York, he and Noah come across an injured nightjar during a walk in the countryside. Noah is determined to save the bird, but his dad believes they should leave it alone to let nature take its course. As father and son argue, it becomes clear that Noah is angry about more than just the bird. He feels abandoned and misunderstood by his dad, who has moved to the US and started a new family there that doesn’t seem to have room for Noah. Can they find a way to build a new relationship and rediscover the common ground between them?

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Publisher Review

"Thoughtful, calm, beautiful and wise" -- Ross Montgomery "A voice unlike any other, that pulls you through with its wonder and wisdom and leaves you utterly changed" -- Struan Murray "A tender and lovely tale with teeth. Balen is one of our very best storytellers." -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave "There isn't another writer writing today who can say so much with so few words, nor a writer who says it so beautifully. Katya is a true original." -- Phil Earle "Finished Nightjar in one, breathless sitting. Another beautiful story that flutters in that complex space between joy and sadness, childhood and adolescence." -- Sarah Ann Juckes