What if the woods were full of them? And of course they were, the woods were full of everything you didn't like, everything you were afraid of and
instinctively loathed, everything that tried to overwhelm you with
nasty, no-brain panic.
The brochure promised a "moderate-to-difficult" six-mile hike on the
Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, where nine-year-old Trisha McFarland was to spend Saturday with her older brother, Pete,
and her recently divorced mother. When she wanders off to escape their
constant bickering, then tries to catch up by attempting to shortcut
through the woods, Trisha strays deeper into a wilderness full of peril
and terror. Especially when night falls.
Trisha has only her wits for navigation, only her ingenuity as a defense
against the elements, only her courage and faith to withstand her
mounting fear. For solace she tunes her Walkman to broadcasts of Boston
Red Sox games and the gritty performances of her hero, number 36, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. And when her radio's reception begins to fade,
Trisha imagines that Tom Gordon is with her – her key to surviving an
enemy known only by the slaughtered animals and mangled trees in its
wake.
A classic story that engages our emotions at the most primal level, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, explores our deep dread of the unknown and the extent to which faith
can conquer it. It is a fairy tale grimmer than Grimm, but aglow with a
girl's indomitable spirit.
