Moonshiner's Son - Hardcover

Reeder, Carolyn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0027758052 ISBN 13: 9780027758054

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1993

Synopsis

After falling for a preacher's pretty daughter, Tom Higgins, a moonshiner's son, begins to question the morality of the family business.

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Reviews

Grade 5-8-- In the hills of Virginia during Prohibition, moonshining is an accepted way of life for 13-year-old Tom and his father, June. The boy plans to follow in this chosen career until a Bible-thumping preacher moves into the area to rid the country of the evils of liquor. As he becomes friendly with the preacher's daughter, Tom begins to wonder about the negative effects of whiskey on their customers. Conflict builds between the mountain people and the outsiders--revenuers, the preacher, and an unscrupulous bootlegger. Another stranger, a folklorist gathering material for a book, finds his way into the hearts of the native people through his interest in their crafts and tales. Tom's pa is a renowned local storyteller and the boy has inherited the talent. However, a great deal of the tension in the story lies between father and son. Tom longs for praise and approval, which the man seems incapable of giving. This is a story with a strong regional flavor. The mountaineers are portrayed as self-possessed, dignified people who have much knowledge despite their lack of book learning. The characters are well-developed individuals. The plot moves along quickly and with enough suspense to hold readers' interest. They will identify with Tom's moral dilemma and his need for parental love. A good, readable addition to historical fiction collections. --Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0027758052
• ISBN 13: 9780027758054
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 206