The teenage son of an Appalachian single mother who dies when he is eleven uses his good looks, wit, and instincts to survive foster care, child labor, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses.

The teenage son of an Appalachian single mother who dies when he is eleven uses his good looks, wit, and instincts to survive foster care, child labor, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses.

An Appalachian boy braves the modern perils of life in a beautiful, poverty-ridden place he can't imagine leaving. Steered by a teacher and a best friend, he comes to learn how to cope with outside forces.