A Southern page-turner, told with humor and an uncanny ear for the Southern idiom. It presents a motley cast of Middle Georgia originals caught up in the struggles of the Great Depression. Thirteen-year-old Newt and his friend Jefferson, will remind some readers of Huck Finn and Jim. Both the boys have abusive fathers and both deal with challenging situations. While Huck's answer to most problems is an instantly devised tall tale, Newt, faced with more perilous trials, relies on an innate understanding of what motivates human beings Jefferson, who experiences a life-changing moment during a rare visit to church, is also more complex character than his counterpart Jim. Newt's father decides to move into rival territory with his moonshine business, sending Jefferson, an alcoholic who will work for whiskey, along with Newt, who will sell the moonshine and protect the money. But this is Newt's story and it is one that will linger with the reader long after the final pages.