ONE-EYED CAT

by Paula Fox ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1984

Written in Fox's sure, resonant prose, this follows Ned Wallis, the minister's son, through the eight months after a secret disobedience: he fired a forbidden air rifle, the gift of a much loved uncle, and possibly--probably--hit something. Though Ned's 1935 home is a strained place (his mother, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, is bedridden), Ned seems happy enough until that shot. Thereafter, haunted by his act, the eleven-year-old finds himself becoming evasive, telling lies, visited by memory and shame. He loses interest in things, turns down a trip with that favorite uncle, even fights briefly with a friend. Fox keenly observes his mood fluctuations, the sudden surfacing of this hollow, burdened feeling in otherwise routine interactions with his unsuspecting parents, the mean-spirited housekeeper, and Mr. Scully, the elderly neighbor whom Ned assists each afternoon. It is Mr. Scully who first discovers the cat with one eye and guesses the cause of his injury, although he has no idea that Ned could be responsible. And it is Mr. Scully, silenced by a stroke, who hears Ned's first confession about the likely cause of injury to ""their"" cat. This is a beautifully unfolded story with memorable characters, a firm sense of the tides of family life, and an unexpected revelation before the apposite ending.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1984

ISBN: 0689839707

Page Count: -

Publisher: Bradbury Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION