SYNOPSIS:

The Possum's Funeral is a coming-of-age story about friendship, family, and fantasy that takes eleven-year-old Dustin on an adventure through a summer he will never forget. The adventure begins when Dustin meets Shawn, the mysterious boy from across the river. A friendship develops between the two boys, and their days are marked with imagined exploits in a long-ago time. Dustin's world begins to expand, and a revisited war from the past forges new friendships from old enemies. When Dustin faces the death of his beloved grandfather, Poppa, the death, coupled with Shawn's sudden departure, produce a lot of unanswered questions that lead Dustin on a quest for understanding. Dustin's father's and grandmother's explanations allow him to understand death a little better, but things become clearer when Dustin visits his Poppa's grave. A meeting with two old friends leads Dustin to reconciliation and ultimately to an acceptance of his loss.