Weed Clapper, a witty, resilient seventeen-year-old, journeys to Indiana amid the growing racial unrest of 1960.

After his black friend is terrorized by the KKK, Weed begins to uncover the dark secrets of this small Midwestern town. He turns to his beautiful young teacher for support, and tumbles into a most forbidden love affair.

Laugh-out-loud funny, yet achingly poignant, Weed's journey to defy convention and defend his sense of justice will cause you to stand up and cheer for this charming, hilarious and unlikely hero.

“…It’s evident that something special is being finely tuned...Think Catcher in the Rye, but with a greater focus on social events. Think To Kill a Mockingbird, but with the mature eye of a seventeen-year-old…This is an extraordinary coming-of-age story.” D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Gwen Banta has a resonant voice, one that pulls you into highways and bus terminals. For anyone who ever wanted to disappear, or feels like they already have….” – Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance; Author/Creator – The Umbrella Academy (Eisner Award Winner)

“Gwen Banta is J.D. Salinger reincarnated. Her language is so rich, so palatable and enveloping that readers feel bathed in it...What a read! What a pleasure!” – Dmitry M. Arbuck, Author – Mastermind

Sign up now to get the most out of Books2Read

Discover something great at Books2Read.

Thanks for signing up for Books2Read notifications!