Pax, Journey Home

Pax, Journey Home is the sequel to Sara Pennypacker’s award-winning book Pax. The first book begins with Peter’s father forcing him to abandon Pax, putting him back into the wild. Peter’s father has just joined the military, and Peter is driven to live with his grandfather, nearly 300 miles away from home. Peter is riddled with anxiety, feeling as if he’s not where he belongs: with Pax. Soon, he sets off on a journey of his own to find Pax.

Along the way, Peter injures his leg, and it is then that he meets Vola. Vola, a former soldier, lives deep in the woods, away from most other humans, and Peter stays with her while his leg heals. Meanwhile, Pax has joined a group of foxes and is learning to navigate the wild for the first time. By the end of the book, the pair reunite but ultimately decide to go their separate ways, knowing they’ll find each other again if needed.

The book is praised for exploring the connections between humans and nature, as well as human relationships. Among other strategies, this is achieved by touching on the Buddhist philosophy of nondualism. Vola teaches Peter about nondualism in Pax, and the topic is referenced again in Pax, Journey Home when Peter explains his deep relationship with Pax to Jade: “[Vola] called it a ‘two but not two’ bond. Connected. It’s a Buddhist idea” (132). Both of the Pax novels use perspectives like these to erase the boundaries between humans and nature, exploring a deeper connection between the two.

Like Pax, Journey Home, Pax is told from dual points of view, with alternating chapters featuring either Pax’s or Peter’s perspective. The dual perspective also provides two important ideas about the role of nature. By exploring nature from a fox’s perspective, the novel reveals both the beauty of nature and the urgency of environmental care and protection. These connections are further strengthened with illustrations by Jon Klassen, who brings a beautiful and rustic world to life in his images.

Pax was one of 10 books on the longlist for the 2016 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and was number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list. However, Pennypacker is well-known beyond the Pax novels as an award-winning American children’s author. She has written numerous children’s books and has received prestigious awards such as a Golden Kite Award and a Christopher’s Medal.

In addition to the Pax books, Pennypacker has authored Summer of the Gypsy Moths, Pierre in Love, Sparrow Girl, Leeva at Last, Here in the Real World, and The Amazing World of Stuart. She is perhaps best known, however, for her beloved best-selling Clementine series. These books have been compared to authors such as Judy Blume (Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret; Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great) for featuring an independent young female protagonist. Today, Pennypacker is based in both Massachusetts and Florida, where she continues to write and speak about writing at conferences, elementary schools, and college institutions.