Existing comment:
Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows (1961)
This children's classic is about a boy, his two hunting dogs, and the bonds of friendship and trust they forge. Billy and his coonhounds are caught up in a series of increasingly challenging raccoon-hunting adventures that test their mettle. The lesson Red Fern gives its young readers is that persistence and adherence to the straight-and-narrow path almost always result in a good outcome. Rawls' novel initially met with lukewarm sales, and after about six years nearly went out of print. An agent who believed strongly in the book's merit marketed it heavily, and it went on to great success. Since its initial publication, three film adaptations have been produced. |