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Silas, age 12, is a sensitive and perceptive soul. Together with his friend Mittenwool, they can often discern individuals before they arrive and know where they go afterward. Silas’ father understands this and is supportive, while everyone else believes this to be abnormal. It is the Western United States in the late 19th century, after all. When Silas’ father falls into challenging circumstances, these young men team up and enlist the reluctant assistance of a few law enforcement officials to rescue him. The ensuing adventure is the central portion of this tale.
Surprisingly, the title character (Pony) is only minimally involved along their route, but he also seems to accept Silas and Mittenwool as both companions and fellow clairvoyants. (Everybody knows ponies are intimately connected to the unseen world.) This trio of would-be deliverers experience their fair share of failures and successes as they journey toward their final goal and the climax of the story. It was refreshing to read neither a string of ridiculous obstacles nor a chain of happy coincidences during their travels through forest, bog and canyon.
This is not technically a history book, but some of the characters are either real people from that area, or based on them. (The author explains these in an afterword.) Bits and pieces of US history are scattered throughout the entire work and stimulated me to try to learn more about some lesser-known events. This is yet another refreshing technique, utilizing uncommonly referenced historical episodes to move the action along and pique the reader’s curiosity. Very well done, R.J. Palacio!
As with a number of young adult books, the only problem for me was the length: it felt far too short! The characters in this novel are well fleshed out, interesting, and (mostly) pleasant to spend time with. As I mentioned earlier, I would also have enjoyed more interaction with Pony.
Rated: Mild. Two mild swear words and a pair of deity-based cursings, all uttered by the adults. Brief and superficial display of a same-gender relationship.
