Jack Witcher doesn’t even live on the wrong-side of the tracks; he lives on a pass through piece land to the nicer houses in the Virginia suburbs of 1967. His father is mostly unemployed, his mother is nice and a hard worker, but not much to look at and his brother Stan is a pot-smoking trouble maker. Most of the neighbors see the Witcher’s as trash and hillbillies, but father and son Stan have a particularly cantankerous relationship with father and son, Gaylor, Joyner. This is particularly unfortunate for twelve-year-old Jack who is very much in love with Myra Joyner who is able to see past Jack’s family and realizes how smart and kind he is. When Gaylord disappears, it is Stan who is the police’s main suspect, causing Jack all kinds of pre-teen angst and keeping him from the girl he loves. Jack’s other closest friend is the Jewish jeweler, Moses Gladstein, who helps Jack win Myra’s heart. Jack is a marvelously complex character whose voice is at times grown up and wise, and other times is that of a confused twelve-year old. He knows he should be loyal to his family, but how can he be when they are the main source of his embarrassment and troubles at school. Jack is a character to root for and readers will have a certain amount of empathy for him as he stays positive and tries to make the best out of his situations.
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