A mischievous boy growing up in a Mississippi River town in the 19th century impresses his friends and horrifies adults by associating with the son of the town drunk, running away from home, attending his own funeral, etc.
"As a New York-to-Missouri transplant in 1943, ten-year-old Susan Marcus discovers a world of prejudice right in her own backyard and makes a small but courageous stand toward equality"--