Raybert tells of his friendship with Palmer Conroy from when they first meet at the age of six years. His first encounter with his friend being Palmer's appearance on his first day at Raybert's School, the day President Kennedy is assassinated, latter the same day Palmer just walks into Raybert's trailer home and sits himself down, and so their friendship begins. The two boys quickly become best friends, getting up to the typical antics boys will.

But all is not well for the two boys living in North Carolina. While Raybert is no doubt loved by his parents, there are problems. His mother has health issues, and his father can't stay around for too long, he is always disappearing and getting himself in fights. Palmer also has family problems, his mother has little time for him, especially since his father died and there is now a new man in her life.

Palmer has a plan to run away, and Raybert promises to go with him. By the time the two boys are twelve years old things are getting so bad that Palmer intends to make their escape earlier than planned, but can they pull it off?

When the Finch Rises is a beautiful story of friendship, but at also a heartbreaking story of the troubled childhood of two very different but very likeable boys. The writing is excellent, with a strong sense of place, well drawn characters, touches of humour even in the face of the heartbreak, making this a most compelling read. ( )