It has been years since I read Red Kayak, but I had no trouble following the story in this companion novel. Digger has been sentenced to nine months in a juvenile detention center for his life-ending prank, but he is determined to escape to get home and protect his mother and siblings from his drunken father. His journey begins by almost dying in the back of a garbage truck, then proceeds to include semi-truck theft, bicycle theft, getting robbed himself, and having a mangy mutt save him from drowning. When Digger finally accepts help from a little boy and his father, he settles into a routine and gets a job at a foster care center for horses. Can Digger escape the wrongs of his past or will they catch up to him? THE JOURNEY BACK is the story of “Digger” Griswald. He’s on the run after escaping a youth detention center where he is serving time for the death of a young boy, the result of a prank gone awry. Digger wants to get home to help protect his mother and siblings from his abusive father. In this, the follow-up novel to RED KAYAK, author Priscilla Cummings tracks Digger’s escape path through rural Maryland as he faces one obstacle after another. An exciting read for young adults, Cummings tells a suspenseful tale filled with hard lessons and tender moments. Yes, a coming of age story, but one with emotional twists and turns that will keep your mind wondering what’s next and your heart pounding for a young boy searching for inner peace. THE JOURNEY BACK is a great emotional trek…but even better if you precede it with RED KAYAK.
What do You think about The Journey Back (2012)?
Great sequel to The Red Kayak. Slow start, but I really liked the end.
—Brenda
