A Bird in the House

At 15, Vanessa observes Peter Chorniuk delivering birch firewood. Vanessa talks with Mr. Chorniuk, who mentions that his dog, Natasha, has had puppies with a husky. He offers one to Vanessa, who is thrilled but anticipates resistance from her grandfather rather than her mother.

Grandfather Connor, in his late eighties and still formidable, initially refuses the puppy, mirroring his earlier contentious negotiation over the price of the birch with Mr. Chorniuk. However, he relents when Beth indicates it’s okay but insists the dog must stay in the basement. Vanessa and her younger brother Roddie play with the puppy, whom she names Nanuk, an Inuit name.

The local paperboy, 16-year-old Harvey Shinwell, who is known for his pale and spotty appearance, mistreats Nanuk by jabbing him in the face with a stick. He claims the dog is dangerous as he grins at Vanessa. Despite her anger and concern, Vanessa doesn’t mention the incident to her mother, wary of the additional strain the dog might already be placing on the household.

Months later, Vanessa catches Harvey luring Nanuk with a donut, only to harm him by throwing pepper into his eyes. Witnessing repeated cruelty, she harbors dark thoughts of retribution against Harvey. Nanuk—now eight months old and robust with a thick black coat, husky ears, and a wolf-like jaw—reacts aggressively toward Harvey. During a confrontation, Harvey uses a slingshot to hit Nanuk in the neck, which enrages Nanuk to the point of violently lunging at the fence, trying to reach Harvey as he flees. Vanessa is left shaken, fearing that if Nanuk had escaped, he might have killed Harvey.

After discovering that Harvey has further harmed Nanuk—this time with matches—Vanessa feels a surge of anger and decides she wants to hurt Harvey. When Roddie witnesses Harvey stealing his telescope, Vanessa shares this with her mother. Grandfather Connor overhears and insists that Vanessa come with him to confront Harvey.

They travel to the impoverished North End where Harvey lives with his aunt, who has cared for him since his mother’s death. Grandfather Connor speaks firmly with her, demanding the return of the telescope. Inside their dilapidated one-room house, Harvey’s aunt confronts him. She strikes Harvey with a wooden spoon when he fails to respond, but he remains stoically unresponsive. She warns him of harsher consequences if he doesn’t comply. Harvey eventually returns the telescope, and his aunt pleads with Grandfather Connor not to involve the police, describing Harvey as a constant source of trouble. When witnessing this family dynamic, Vanessa asks her grandfather if he knows Harvey’s aunt, to which he responds indifferently.

Following this incident, Harvey stops bothering Nanuk and eventually drops out of school and his paper route, taking up work with Yang Min, an elderly Chinese man in the North End. However, the damage to Nanuk’s trust has been done, leading to such heightened suspicion toward people that Beth decides Nanuk should be rehomed on a farm. Vanessa, unable to face saying goodbye, mourns Nanuk’s departure in silence.

A year later, Yang Min’s café is robbed, and Yang Min is assaulted. Harvey is quickly arrested and convicted of the crime, receiving a six-year sentence. Vanessa inquires about Nanuk’s fate, pushing past her mother’s reluctance to reveal that the vet had euthanized him. After learning this, Vanessa sees Harvey’s aunt on the street, and Vanessa ignores her, conflicted by the unfairness of it all.