A Wounded Deer Leaps Highest – Charlie J. Stephens

In 1980’s Oregon, Smokey is figuring out how to survive childhood with a young mom who is increasingly desperate in her search for love. As their mother’s boyfriends come and go, Smokey aches for the comfort and safety their mother can never quite provide. When a dangerous new man moves into the house, Smokey seeks refuge in the nearby forests–finding comfort as they give themselves over to the strength and beauty of the natural world.

2025 Leslie Feinberg Award for Trans and Gender-Variant Literature winner