The Evolution of Hallie Jo Everheart: A Novel in Stories

Hallie Jo Everheart is growing up on a farm in the Ozarks, and life isn't going well. Her mother dies when Hallie is only nine, her brothers treat her like dirt, and her overburdened father is sunk into grief, oblivious. Then she meets Old Man Morrison, a reclusive, cranky, and slightly terrifying neighbor who can fix a broken piece of farm equipment but is not so good with people-until, unexpectedly, he changes Hallie's life when he discovers her talent for drawing.

As a gifted young woman ...