David Hayden

David is twelve as the events of the summer of 1948 unfold. He tells the story from a first-person perspective. David, sometimes called Davey by his uncle, is the son of Wesley Hayden who serves as sheriff of Mercer County, Montana, at the time of the story. His father's role as sheriff drives a great deal of the story. David's mother is Gail, a woman who plays an important role in David's life and works at the county courthouse.

David is an astute student of human behavior and catches on to the subtleties of the situation much more quickly than most youngsters of his age would have. He augments his understanding by listening in on conversations whenever possible. When David's Uncle Frank becomes embroiled in trouble with the law, David wants only to have his life back to its normal level of family interaction. He so desperately wants...