A Kestrel for a Knave / Barry Hines

Troubled teenager Billy Casper lives in a Yorkshire mining town. He is treated as a failure at school and his family and friends don’t give a damn. His hopes, his future, mean nothing to anyone – least of all Billy. When he finds Kes, a Kestrel hawk, suddenly he discovers a new passion for life. He sees the hawk’s silent strength in himself and there is trust and love in their relationship – something he has never had before. But burning in the hearts of both Kes and Billy is the will to confront the world. To destroy or be destroyed … Ken Loach's well-known film adaptation, Kes, has achieved cult status.