This was an absolutely amazing coming of age story. Kyle had absolutely nothing going for him. Living in an abusive environment, the poor guy did not even know what love and affection was. Sheer luck and a decent judge placed Kyle in a work release program at a farm in the country. Kyle was virtually born again and learned to accept love and give it. The main characters were fleshed very well and the story's pace was smooth and even. I liked the relationship between Sam and Kyle especially at the end. I worked at a dairy farm one summer and the Johnson's farm rang true to what the life really is. Ms Henry is a new author to me but I'll be looking for more by this fine storyteller. ( )