A humorous short story from the collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written by an internationally bestselling author. Abigail Crumb is forever making mistakes at the veterinary surgery where she works after school, and now she’s on her final warning. So when she loses – and then finds again – one of the puppies in her care, she doesn’t tell her boss; she’s saving up for a houdah for her elephant, after all, and knows she has to hide the puppy if she wants to keep her job. But how will she keep her secret? After several chance encounters with Henry Brocket – a forlorn little boy who’s always dressed as a pilot and is obsessed with Biggles – and discovering why he’s so sad, Abigail suddenly realises what she must do.
Author
I was born in Dublin, Ireland, and studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin, and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. In 2015, I was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by UEA. I’ve published 14 novels for adults, 6 novels for younger readers, and a short story collection. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas was a New York Times no.1 Bestseller and was adapted for a feature film, a play, a ballet and an opera, selling around 11 million copies worldwide. Among my most popular books are The Heart’s Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky and My Brother’s Name is Jessica. I’m also a regular book reviewer for The Irish Times. In 2012, I was awarded the Hennessy Literary ‘Hall of Fame’ Award for my body of work. I’ve also won 4 Irish Book Awards, and many international literary awards, including the Que Leer Award for Novel of the Year in Spain and the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in Germany. In 2015, I was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of East Anglia. My novels are published in 58 languages. My 14th adult novel, ALL THE BROKEN PLACES, a sequel and companion novel to THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, will be published in the UK on September 15th 2022, in the US and Canada on November 29th, and in many foreign language editions in late 2022 and 2023.
