This is wonderful story in the tradition of "To Kill a Mockingbird," in that it has a reflective narrator looking back on childhood and using that child's voice to carry us through the story. Eli Book is 10-years-old during the summer of our country's bicentennial (1976) in the fictional rural town of Refuge somewhere in the Appalachian region. Eli begins the story by admitting it was the summer of great transgression of his, and this launches us into a tumultuous story about family, beliefs, tradition, coming-of-age, and friendship,

Narrated by the author. House’s low, intimate Southern-accented voice suits the narrator’s recounting of memories and the evocative prose; there’s a feeling that he’s looking back, older, wiser, and sadder. His tone hints at the tragedies to come. You also feel the heat and slow pace of a Southern summer.
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Great read, book is about boy that learns more about his family and friends. ( )

Charming, beautifully written coming-of-age story. ( )

My blog post about this book is at this link. ( )