Moonshiner's Son

The accomplished author of Shades of Gray returns to the Blue Ridge Mountains for this Prohibition-era novel. Twelve-year-old Tom seems destined to become a moonshiner like his father. When a city preacher comes to the hollow with his daughter, Amy, Tom is drawn to her and feels torn: seeking Amy's approval requires rejecting moonshining. A wide cast of picturesque but sometimes sketchily developed characters personifies the struggle between old and new ways--unfortunately, many characters seem more like frames on which to hang competing concepts than like flesh-and-blood mortals. Some of the action seems forced, even melodramatic, and the epiphanies experienced by both Tom's father and Preacher Taylor are facile. Despite these limitations, the reader is drawn into the story, and Tom's concerns seem very real. Storytelling traditions are also celebrated here, and a strong sense of place and time adds resonance. Ages 8-12. (May)