Peck, Robert Newton. A Day No Pigs Would Die. New York
Annotation:
Robert, a well-mannered young boy growing up on the farm journeys through young adolescence and into adulthood through the experiences he encounters as well as the death of his father. Robert must fill the large shoes his father leaves behind and give up his adolescence to become a man.
Justification of Nomination:
Deemed a classic, I can whole-heartedly understand why. This is a wonderful story that takes place on a farm where life is tough and some of the experiences are even tougher. Written as a semi-autobiographical novel from Peck’s own life, it is easy for the reader to understand the complexities of adolescence and relate to the main character on several levels.
This work highlights the coming of age story of a boy maneuvering through his life initially as an innocent boy and transcending into manhood. I’m convinced that every detail that author Robert Peck put in this book is intentional in order to show the very remarkable and very painful journey that the main character experiences. By doing so, Peck makes this story incredibly relatable to many of its readers even though the setting and certain aspects may not be. For example, living on a farm may not be relatable, but losing someone or something very close to you is.
This book is on the censored/challenged list for a number of reasons. Many are based around the main character’s pet pig and the experiences that the pig endures. Peck astutely ties Robert’s own life directly together with the pig’s life. Though told from the perspective of Robert, both he and his pig move through the channels of innocence into maturity and eventually come together in a way that shows the necessity of each of their experiences and the impact it has on Robert himself.
Genre Catalog: Pre-1980s Classics, Coming of Age, Realistic Novel
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