A heartwarming, poignant, and charming debut novel for fans of Nick Hornby and Graeme Simsion, about a father and son overcoming their grief in surprisingly inventive ways.
Dannyβs life is falling apart. Heβs become a single father to eleven-year-old Willβwho hasnβt spoken since the death of his mother in a car crash a year earlierβand Danny has just been fired from his construction job. To make matters worse, heβs behind on the rent and his nasty landlord is threatening to break his legs if he doesnβt pay soon. Danny needs money, and fast.
After observing local street performers in a nearby park, Danny spends his last few dollars on a tattered panda costume, impulsively deciding to become a dancing bear. While performing one day, Danny spots his son in the park, and chases off the older boys who are taunting him. Will opens up for the first time since his motherβs death, unaware that the man in the panda costume is his father. Afraid of disclosing his true identity, Danny comforts his son. But will Danny lose Willβs trust once he reveals who he is? And will he be able to dance his way out of debt, or be beaten up before he has a chance?
Filled with a colorful cast of characters,Bear Necessityis a refreshingly unpretentious and ultimately uplifting story of a father and son reconnecting in the most unlikely of circumstances.