THE BOY IN THE FIELD by Margot Livesey

Three siblings—Matthew, Zoe, and Duncan—happen upon a badly beaten and barely conscious boy in a field.  This discovery has a marked impact on each of them, as does the realization that their father is having an affair.   Matthew, the oldest, embarks on a quest to determine who attacked the boy.  Sixteen-year-old Zoe becomes romantically involved with an older man.  Duncan, a talented young artists who is adopted, decides that he wants to find his birth mother.  In some ways, this book feels as though it is intended for a young adult audience, but the beautiful writing and zippy pace make for a good read for us older adults as well.  The mystery of who assaulted the boy may be the hub of the story, but the author focuses more on how the three siblings individually process the event and how it affects their lives.  The author also addresses how truth is not always knowable:  the boy whispers one word when they first find him, but the three kids each hear a different word.  A feeling of sadness pervades most of the novel, but the conclusion is almost too saccharine.  I’d rather have that than one that’s too harsh, but not everyone lives happily ever after, either.  The boy in the field serves as a catalyst for the growth of the three main characters, but I would have liked a little more exploration of his backstory.  As is often the case, the character who appealed to me most was an animal--Lily, Duncan’s very perceptive dog.