Saving Winslow

Louie’s house is old and drafty, which makes it airy In the summer. This reminds Louie of his older brother Gus, who has been serving in the army for a year. He always motivated Louie with something fun and new to do. Now that Gus is gone and it is winter, Louie feels like the house is dark and cold. However, since the donkey’s arrival, Louie feels different.

In the past, Louie has brought home a variety of animals, but they have all either died or run away. Recently, he asked for a dog, but his parents said no, so he is surprised when his dad turns up with the donkey. When his mom worries it will die, Louie insists that will not happen. His parents step outside to discuss what to do. Meanwhile, the trembling donkey remains bundled in Louie’s embrace. When his parents return, Louie outlines a plan to keep the donkey in the basement and to get supplies to nurse it to good health. After warning him not to get his hopes up, his mother agrees to watch the animal, who Louie names Winslow, while they go to the feedstore.

At the feedstore owned by his friend Mack’s family, Louie and his dad gather supplies. They explain the situation to Mack, who recommends a book about donkeys. However, Louie’s dad declines because he thinks Winslow will die soon. Louie interrupts and says, “Think positive!” (13). Despite this, his father warns him they may return to a dead donkey.

Mack is 13, three years older than Louie. Many people assume they are related because they look alike, unlike Gus and Louie who are brothers but are built differently. Sometimes Louie misses Mack because now that his friend is a teenager, he does not want to hang out as much. Occasionally, though, they go sledding together, and one time they met Claudine and Nora, sisters new to town. Mack immediately fell in love with Claudine.

Louie’s mom is talking to Winslow when he and his dad return. Louie puts hay down in the basement for the donkey to lay on, and he gathers extra blankets to keep the animal warm. For two hours, Louie encourages Winslow to drink milk. After some success, Louie falls asleep holding the donkey. When Louie wakes a few hours later, he thinks of how he was born prematurely and needed an incubator to keep him alive. Sometimes, he thinks he can remember those days, and he wonders if his parents pleaded with him to stay alive like he does with Winslow.

When Louie thinks of Gus, he wishes he could serve in the army just like him. Despite this, Louie recognizes that they are different, for Gus excels at all sports, and Louie does not. Once at a soccer practice, Louie’s coach noticed that the boy was avoiding the ball and suggested that maybe sports are not for him. Later that same night, when Louie worried that he would never know what he was good at, Gus encouraged him to be patient.

Louie feels emptiness everywhere since Gus left. He notices places his brother used to be and remembers things that he used to leave lying around. Now, all Louie and his parents have are postcards that do not provide much detail about Gus’s life. Recently, he has started to sign his letters with “remember me,” which confuses Louie because he could never forget his brother. When Louie holds Winslow, he hopes that someone is looking after Gus.

One morning, Mack comes to visit Winslow with Claudine and Nora, sisters who just moved to town. Claudine, who is elegant and pretty, is enamored with the donkey. However, her little sister, Nora, is dressed in dirty, oversized clothes and comments that Winslow looks like the offspring of a possum and a goat. Mack notes the donkey’s improvement, and Louie insists that Winslow will survive. When Nora disagrees, Louie explains that he survived a premature birth. The girl reveals that she had a baby brother born two months early who did not live. Then, Nora refuses to hold Winslow because she thinks he is going to die too.

A while ago, Louie walked into town and stopped near some sunflowers. Because they were so golden against the white fence and blue sky, he wanted to “freeze that scene” (33) for its beauty. Later, in a park in town, Louie saw a man wearing tattered and dirty clothes laying on a bench. He wondered if he would want to freeze that scene too. No matter how he answered that question, the vision of the man never left his head, and on his way home, he set a bag of food next to the bench. As Louie holds Winslow now, he knows that the vision of the struggling donkey in his arms will never leave his mind either.

One cold morning, Louie carries Winslow to the front porch. The donkey snuggles and nibbles at Louie’s scarf. Suddenly, Nora appears bundled in her black and yellow winter gear, looking like a bumblebee. She asks about the “thing,” and Louie tells her his name is Winslow. After Nora tells him again that the donkey will die, Louie disagrees and invites her to hold the animal. When she hears Winslow make a noise, she stifles a smile. Seeing the donkey squirm, she suggests that Louie set him down and let him walk. Winslow is wobbly, but when he gains his footing, he leans against Nora and nudges her boots. Then, she says she must go, but not before suggesting that Louie let Winslow wander the house in diapers.

One morning, Louie wakes to find Winslow breathing shallowly and unable to stand. With the help of his parents and Mack’s father, they call a veterinarian, who examines Winslow and discovers that the donkey has an infection. Louie must give him a shot every day for 10 days. Louie worries about this, but the veterinarian shows him how and gives him encouragement. Later, Uncle Pete, visits and Louie details their morning. Then, Uncle Pete reveals that Winslow’s mother died. Remembering that Gus once told him “that LGD meant Little Gray Donkey” (46), Louie decides to call Winslow his LGD.