What a sweet yet deep story. Everything is deep: the feelings, the struggles, the pain, the hurt, the rejection, the daily farm life, the thoughts in Jace's heart. I loved the references to Jace's past, the picture of his life during this short but restful period, and, of course, poor little Tyra. I would have liked to see a bit more of her (the Tyra on the cover as well as small Tyra!), but this is Jace's story, and a very important one at that.
One question I had while reading: why were Jace's friends so forward in convincing him to go to town? Even if Jace was ready for town, the town certainly wasn't ready for Jace. Couldn't Aldor pave the way in town and tell his friends about Jace before bringing Jace?
I loved Jace's growth even through this short story - and the glimpses of the farm, and the tenderness of the character interactions. Five stars!