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Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
Don’t Never Give Up by Rich Simms follows Ezekiel “Bonkie” Harrison, a small but determined ten-year-old boy, who wakes up alone in a hotel he’s staying in on the way to his aunt’s house. He waits for his father, or Pap as he calls him, to return, then chooses to search for him, but he can’t seem to locate him anywhere. He then decides to set out on his own to find the aunt they were supposed to visit. It traces his journey from an abandoned child to a hard-working young man. He walks lonely roads, endures hardships, and works a string of tough jobs, all the while building the skill set he needs to survive. Along the way, he meets people who help shape him, including a blacksmith who puts him to work, a trapper who teaches him to live off the land, and Mathilda, a strong farm girl who eventually becomes his best friend. What does Bonkie’s future hold? Will he ever see his Pap again?
Don’t Never Give Up by Rich Simms is the kind of story that sneaks up on you. It feels authentic and highlights aspects of life during the westward expansion I hadn’t considered before. I truly appreciated the scenes that move from hotel dining rooms to muddy roads to a rough little farm, all written in a voice that’s plainspoken but still vivid. The dialogue is natural, and I liked that Bonkie grows up slowly through his work, small choices, and the individuals who step into his life, rather than moving past them toward the future. I was especially drawn to his bond with Mathilda and to the way the author portrays ordinary kindness as powerful. Those readers who enjoy historical fiction, stories about found family, and quiet coming-of-age arcs will enjoy this ultimately hopeful journey. I genuinely loved spending time with these characters and didn’t want to leave their world even after I was done reading about them.
