Tom and Son Jesus are two boys - one black and the other white - who have been mysteriously ordained at birth to spark the flames of change. Best friends, they spend their days daydreaming, fishing, and trying to escape work. But their fun abruptly comes to a halt when they discover a bone during a fanciful runaway. The bone turns out to be part of the skeletal remains of Son Jesus' long-missing father. Sheriff Frank Rucker, returned a hero from World War II, begins an investigation that unmasks a racially motivated killer known only as Pegleg. The search for truth divides the people of Overton County, forcing a surprising conclusion - or the beginning of justice.

Terry Kay's The Runaway begins at the end of WWII, when returning soldiers brought home a new respect for other peoples and races. When those soldiers returned to the South, tempers flared, and lives were irrevocably changed. Dick Hill imbues this novel with a fire equal to that burning in the hearts of the returning soldiers. His resonant voice carries the reader into the Deep South while his vocal characterizations lend a sense of realism to the novel. The listener is thoroughly drawn into the tale as Hill's masterful use of accent and timbre creates vivid, unique characters whose voices become as familiar as those of cherished friends. P.H-N. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

 

Terry Kay is the bestselling author of Taking Lottie Home. His previous novels, To Dance with the White Dog and The Runaway, were Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations. He lives in the Atlanta area.