The Painters of Lexieville

Lexieville, Arkansas, can hardly be called a real town. It's nothing but a jumble of unpainted shotgun shacks squatting at the end of a muddy, rutted road. To Pertrisha "Pert" Lexie, that road is like a sign, a warning that there's no welcome for outsiders who might venture into Lexieville, and little chance of her getting out.

Pert's mother, Truly, had dreams once upon a time, but now they're worn threadbare as a hand-me-down quilt. Pert's brother, Jobe, a high-school dropout, appears to be...