The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

In the 1400's a priest finds a hunchback boy and takes him in.  He calls him Boy and the child becomes the sheep herder for a manner house.  One day a pilgrim comes by asking for directions to a local monastery that has a relic of St Peter. He hires Boy to carry his pack and together they start on an adventure that will lead them across Europe and eventually to Rome.  As they travel they both discover that they are more than they appear to be and their quest has eternal consequences.

This book is certainly of the same flavor as Gidwitz' The Inquisitor's Tale.  I think I actually liked it better.  The Inquisitor's Tale had more laugh-out-loud moments, but I thought that the ending was too abrupt.  I thought the pacing for this one was better and that the slow development of the relationship between the Boy and the Pilgrim was wonderful. I also liked its message of redemption. Was the pilgrim saved because he completed his quest, or because he came to love and care about Boy?  I think it fully deserved the Newbery honor it won last year. (2018, 288 p)