Hardscrub

the long version

From his intelligent 11-year-old's perspective, Jim Jones relates--wrenchingly and unforgettably--several months of his Texan family's transient existence during the early '50s. We witness the exchanges between him and his older, protective brother, and the premature death of his sister. Deserted by their abusive, alcoholic father, the brothers and their mother spend a relatively peaceful interlude with relatives. On the verge of independence, the mother--more concerned with the survival of her marriage than with her sons' welfare--leads the boys back to their father; this cycle continues. --Pub. Weekly