How would it feel to know that you were responsible for the death of someone you loved? In Gone from these Woods, Daniel Sartain must wrestle with this responsibility when he has a terrible hunting accident with his uncle in the Northeast Georgia woods. Donny Bailey Seagraves writes from the perspective of this 10-year old boy and captures the raw emotion that someone involved in a tragedy of this nature might face. Seagraves writes in such a way that you really feel as if you are wrestling with the same emotions and questions that Daniel faces. Her research is apparent in her writing. As I read this novel, I couldn’t help but think about the conversations that a novel such as this might bring about between a parent and a child reading the book together. Issues of gun safety, animal rights, hunting, suicide, depression, alcoholism, parent/child relationships, and more are all possibilities for discussion between a parent and child. I highly recommend this debut novel by Seagraves and hope that she will write many more.  It will be arriving soon in our media center, and Donny Bailey Seagraves will visit with our 3rd-5th graders on November 3rd!

Reviewed by Mr. Plemmons