A story set in Kentucky during the Great Depression. The central character is a young boy, who recounts the era from his perspective.
r.1. Introduction to the Baldridge family, including two cousins and an uncle that have recently moved in. As food grows scarce and the extended family grows, the mother moves the family into the smokehouse and burns their old home so there is no room for the uncle or cousins -- r.2. The family tends to their garden, but end up giving their beans to hungry men from the coal camp. The boy turns seven and goes on his first trip with his father to birth a foal. Uncle Jolly comes to visit -- r.3. Uncle Jolly teases the children, but they plot revent. The family runs out of meat, and they consider moving -- r.4. The family saves a heifer that is choking on a corn cob. They travel to Little Carr to get a letter, and hear a sermon. The letter notifies them that Uncle Jolly is in jail, and someone must go take care of his grandmother -- r.5. The boy and his sister go to school for the first time, where the boys must roust bats out of the school's attic. The boy then goes to help take care of his grandmother -- r.6. Uncle Luce comes to visit the boy and the grandmother. They find out Uncle Jolly has been sentenced to two years in the State pen, but he soon escapes and comes back home. The grandmother tells how her husband was murdered over a hog -- r.7. The grandmother retraces the Baldridge family history -- r.8. Uncle Jolly is jailed for cutting the fence of the man who killed his father. Uncle Toll and the boy go to visit Jolly, with the boy staying until Jolly plans his escape. Jim Webb reads poetry -- r.9. The mine closes, so the Baldridge family moves to Flax Patch to become farmers. The baby dies, and they move to the coal camp of Black Jack -- r.10. Uncle Samp comes to live with the family, and they are soon joined by cousin Harl and cousin Tibb. The cousins plot against the mine foreman -- r.11. Cousins Harl and Tibb become trapped in the mine when they attempt to carry out their plan. Uncle Samp and Father dig them out. Little brother Fletch blows off his hand with dynamite -- r.12. Mother falls ill, the mine lays off more men, grandmother dies, and Uncle Jolly brings her coffin to Black Jack. Jolly takes his mother to the family graveyard. Poetry by David Huddle.
r.1. Introduction to the Baldridge family, including two cousins and an uncle that have recently moved in. As food grows scarce and the extended family grows, the mother moves the family into the smokehouse and burns their old home so there is no room for the uncle or cousins -- r.2. The family tends to their garden, but end up giving their beans to hungry men from the coal camp. The boy turns seven and goes on his first trip with his father to birth a foal. Uncle Jolly comes to visit -- r.3. Uncle Jolly teases the children, but they plot revent. The family runs out of meat, and they consider moving -- r.4. The family saves a heifer that is choking on a corn cob. They travel to Little Carr to get a letter, and hear a sermon. The letter notifies them that Uncle Jolly is in jail, and someone must go take care of his grandmother -- r.5. The boy and his sister go to school for the first time, where the boys must roust bats out of the school's attic. The boy then goes to help take care of his grandmother -- r.6. Uncle Luce comes to visit the boy and the grandmother. They find out Uncle Jolly has been sentenced to two years in the State pen, but he soon escapes and comes back home. The grandmother tells how her husband was murdered over a hog -- r.7. The grandmother retraces the Baldridge family history -- r.8. Uncle Jolly is jailed for cutting the fence of the man who killed his father. Uncle Toll and the boy go to visit Jolly, with the boy staying until Jolly plans his escape. Jim Webb reads poetry -- r.9. The mine closes, so the Baldridge family moves to Flax Patch to become farmers. The baby dies, and they move to the coal camp of Black Jack -- r.10. Uncle Samp comes to live with the family, and they are soon joined by cousin Harl and cousin Tibb. The cousins plot against the mine foreman -- r.11. Cousins Harl and Tibb become trapped in the mine when they attempt to carry out their plan. Uncle Samp and Father dig them out. Little brother Fletch blows off his hand with dynamite -- r.12. Mother falls ill, the mine lays off more men, grandmother dies, and Uncle Jolly brings her coffin to Black Jack. Jolly takes his mother to the family graveyard. Poetry by David Huddle.