Conquering Kilmarnie

When Peter returns to his father's coffee plantation in Jamaica, he wants only to stay with his father. He has been lonesome since the year his mother and brother died; his grief-stricken father has been preoccupied and unable to see how much Peter wants to be at home. But an island boy, Zackie, is able to heal the rift between Peter and his father. Zackie, who has been living with his drunken father, illegally shoots a wild boar on the coffee plantation. Peter's father wants to stay out of Zackie's problems, but that proves impossible as the boys become friends. Soon Peter's father is drawn out of his misery by Zackie's troubles. The author's familiarity with Jamaica gives the exotic locale a special depth, and the dramatic events should make this story appealing even to reluctant readers. Ages 8-12. (May)