First Part, Sections 1, 2 and 3 Summary

This novel for young people tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a young black man and a young white man in the racist southern United States of the early 1970's. As Jerome and Bix build their relationship, they each encounter difficulties at home that, in Jerome's case, strengthen his resolve to live a rich independent life, and in Bix's case lead him to discover some painful truths. In addition to issues associated with racism, the narrative also explores themes tied to the relationship between honesty and lies, and between perception and reality.

1 - First person narrator Jerome Foxworthy introduces the story of Bix Rivers with references to Bix's disappearance and to how there is no one else to tell his story. Bix's mother, he says, is in an insane asylum, and Bix's step-father is too...