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Thirteen-year-old Charley Callaghan is coping with some difficult changes in his life. His family has recently moved to Vancouver from Ireland, and his mother has died of cancer. Now he is desperately trying to fit in --in a new school, a new city, a new country--while holding a part-time job and keeping an eye on his little sister, Annie. Charley's red hair and Irish accent at first make him a target of the class bullies, but he is tough enough--just--to keep them at bay.
So it is almost a relief to him when the bullies find a new target, Benny Mason. As the bullying intensifies, Charley keeps hoping that Benny will defend himself, but he fails to intervene. When the situation turns tragic, Charley must face some difficult questions about his own part in the events. His search for atonement leads to an unusual friendship, and an unexpected opportunity to pay back. This gripping and thought-provoking novel is told with wit and empathy, by a masterful storyteller.