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rating: 4.5

North Carolina, 1934-'35

An interview with Earley quotes him as saying,
That I was able to write about the Depression without having to do a lot of research is because a large part of my family's story stockpile is about life during that time. I feel like I've almost lived in it myself. When my grandmother talks about the way things were, I can almost see it.

This takes place during the years of the Depression, but it doesn't describe the usual hardships. The three men have jobs; they have a truck; they look to buy horses; they have plenty to eat -- their lives seem fairly uncomplicated, but they don't fret over finances. (Anyway, not to the extent that Jim notices.)

This was an easy book to read, and a hard one to put down ... meaning that a couple of nights I found myself reading later than I had intended. It fits nicely with two other titles that I've read this last year:
� The Yearling, Rawlings, backwoods of Florida, 1870s
� A Fortunate Life, Facey, Australia 1902-18
� Jim the Boy, Earley, N Caroline, 1934-35

All three feature a boy who's raised in 'the country,' not in a city, with plenty of space to explore and with the 'great outdoors' being their backyards. Their worlds were free of 'high tech'; religion wasn't a major part of their lives; they knew what it meant to put in a day's work and they knew the difference between right and wrong.

Highly recommended.