Anne Turner Coppola

The Last Panther Anne Turner Coppola

THE LAST PANTHER This is the story of Mathew Davis, a young boy living with his family on the edge of the Florida Everglades, who because of his short stature, is constantly taunted and bullied by his classmates. It is a story of Mathew's struggles to discover who he is, and of his relationships with his father, and those around him. Thinking that being able to have a gun, and going hunting will help him secure recognition and respect, Mathew befriends a native Indian schoolmate, Charlie Jim, who teaches Mathew how to track animals and to respect the natural beauty of the Glades, while sharing many adventures together. Their confrontation with an angry alligator, and rescue of a wounded panther provide an exciting climax to their youthful adventures. Mathew's desire to participate in a pharmaceutical study for the introduction of a new biological agent offers Mathew hope that his short stature can be corrected medically. This is a story of a young boy coming of age, who learns that the measure of a man is not in his size, but what is in his heart, and of the friend who helps him find his way.