Jody Baxter

The actual "yearling" of the novel, Jody is a 12-year-old boy who has never attended school and clings to the peace and security of a simple home carved out of the wilderness. As the only surviving child, he is a great joy to his father. His mother, however, just does not seem to have any tenderness for him. Like his father, Jody is slight of build, with narrow shoulders and narrow hips, and hair the color of straw. Jody is a scrub country boy, coming into adolescence in the early 1870's. His entire world is bounded by the St. John's River, Jacksonville, Florida, and about 20 miles of scrub country southwest of those points.

As the only child, Jody might be expected to toil all day in the fields, alongside his father. He is, however, somewhat indulged, as his father wants to make sure he has a true...