Billy connects with the nature and wildlife there, rescuing an injured swan and nurturing some fox cubs, finding solace in the process.

Aided by the comfort he finds in his new animal friends in his Wilderness, Billy is able to outgrow his stutter.

Patricia Manning wrote in the School Library Journal that the book "is overwritten in spots and has other weaknesses to boot, as it stands this plot is too contrived to be convincing".

[2] In their review of the audiobook, AudioFile Magazine said Bill Wallis's "calm, elegant reading is perfect to tell the story of foster child Billy Bunch ... Wallis's soothing voice tracks Billy's attachment to a fox, which sends him fleeing from his unhappy living situation.

His gentle tones follow Billy's path until he finds a place where he belongs – with people who need him as much as he needs a loving home".