Junior

Set in rural western Massachusetts, this novel follows Junior Beauchamp, who has a good shot at art school if he can just stay out of prison. All he's got to do is keep his nose clean for the summer. When his mother disappears on a drug-fueled bender, Junior shacks up with a gun-toting Black hermit called Bluepriest who teaches him and his kid brother a thing or two about living off the grid. Junior makes friends with some Puerto Ricans and then falls in mutual love with one of their sisters. His kid brother is learning to handle himself as well. Life is shaping to look up. But then the situation flounders with his mother and matters move from bad to worse when a skeleton from the past threatens to destroy his future. Junior is accused of murder. A coming of age story for our time, Junior is a tale of revenge, resilience, and determination. It's a tale of a young man pursuing his dreams in the face of great and varied adversity. While Junior explores his art as a means of escape and healing, the reader learns that art can overcome the impact of environment on personal growth while it can also deepen enduring bonds of friendship.