The novel deals forthrightly with the troubles most deeply imbedded in American mythology: poverty, the waning life of American farmers, freedom versus law and order, and racism. In addition, Weaver deals directly with the usual struggles of the average teenager: unrequited love, high school rivalries, and puberty. Weaver is at his most exciting, narratively, when he intermingles the universal struggles of teens with those social issues that are deeply American. For instance, the most prominent social issue addressed in the novel is the basic class struggle between the economically wealthy teens and the povertystricken farm kids.

Billy and his family come from a long line of farmers; they are proud of their work, sure of their abilities, and overwhelmingly aware of their place in society. Every encounter with the townsfolk, for both Billy and Abner, is a brush with anger and humiliation and righteousness. The Baggs...