William Goldman's stunning debut novel about a young boy, adrift and alone, coming of age in a cruel worldRaymond Euripides Trevitt is not yet ten when he resolves to make his own way in life. When a new boy, Zock, moves in next door, he knows he has finally met his partner in life's great adventures. As they come of age in midwestern, midcentury America, Ray and Zock become the best of friendseven though they're opposites in many ways. Ray takes Zock hiking; Zock teaches Ray about poetry. Together, they run away to Chicago, hide out in movie theaters, and watch Gunga Din over and over. They navigate high school together: double dating, learning about first love, getting into college. But during a summer visit home, a tragic accident leaves Ray racked with guilt and self-loathing. Broken and lost, Ray is left to find his way through life one blunder at a time, never giving up hope or relinquishing his quest for atonement.

This ebook features a biography of William Goldman.