Summary

Using an omniscient third-person narrator, Scott introduces God as a man who lives in Cross River, Maryland, who wears dirty clothes and softly preaches to people on the riverbank. God has 13 sons, by 5 different women. The youngest is David Sherman, the protagonist. David is not close with God, and does not understand when God tells him things about religion, thinking God is insane. David is 16 when God commits suicide by drowning himself in the Cross River.

David is a musician who plays on the side of the road. When David is 18, David’s oldest brother opens the Church of the Twice Risen Christ and begins calling himself Jesus Jesuson (“Jeez”). He offers David a job playing guitar at church on Sundays. David does not believe in Jeez’s sermons.

David longs for the drums he sees in the...