The Story of Patsy is a short-story that is at once incredibly heartwarming and incredibly sad. It seems almost pre-ordained from the beginning that there is no way Patsy will be able to survive the abject poverty in which he finds himself, despite the best efforts of the woman who cares for him, an older "brother" who steals food for him, and the kindergarten teacher who opens her school and heart to him. And, indeed, he does not survive, but his personal, intellectual and emotional growth turn out to be enough for him, and he sees death as an improvement over the state of his life rather than an ending of it. Only the hardest-hearted reader will be able to finish the book without shedding more than a few tears. Still, it should not be missed.
