The Strange Side of the Tracks

by George Avant

Overview

 

Some kids have to grow up fast. This is the story of Lonnie Tobin, one such young man. Weary of the physical abuse his mother is subjected to from his father, he takes matt ers into his own hands. Convincing her to flee their fearful home life, son and mother sneak away in the night to the small town of Rocky Branch, where they find peace with her family. It is a corner of the world he thought they had left behind forever. But mysteries abound in this little wooded village, and an unexpected adventure begins when word of a nightly monster on the loose stirs fear among the residents. Young Lonnie soon forgets about his father and becomes fascinated by the story, only to find he might be spending a litt le too much time on The Strange Side of the Tracks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935166962
Publisher:	Parkhurst Brothers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

 GEORGE LARRY AVANT (December 22, 1950 - November 8, 2012) passed away just

months after signing the publication contract for this, his first and only novel. George

travelled all over the country with his family as a radio broadcaster for thirty years,

often serving in gospel ministry. For many years, he was half of The Light Brothers, a

comedy duo. A writer, humorist, painter, and avid reader, Avant returned late in life

to rural Arkansas, to a small town rich with history and personal memories, where

he was inspired to write this novel. He left behind a daughter and two sons, all of

who helped George bring his work to completion, and assisted editors in preparing

the text for publication.

Table of Contents

Contents Chapter One—Son of the Most Popular Grocery Checker Chapter Two—The Relief of It All Chapter Three—A Time and Place Chapter Four—Like Tom and Huck Chapter Five—That Night the Train Blowed Up Chapter Six—Wreathed in Smoke Chapter Seven—Haints&Heart Attacks Chapter Eight—Following the Path of My Ancestors Chapter Nine—The Little Matchbox House of Cooper Logan Chapter Ten—Like Paint on Parchment Chapter Eleven—He Was a St. Louis Cardinals Fan, but I Forgave Him for It Chapter Twelve—The Play of Life Chapter Thirteen—The Things of the Lord Chapter Fourteen—Sherlockier by the Day Chapter Fifteen—The Vanishing Man Chapter Sixteen—How Could I Refuse Her? Chapter Seventeen—Note the Time Chapter Eighteen—Spun Gold Drifting on the Wind Chapter Nineteen—Burned Too Many Times Chapter Twenty—The Real Gideon Chapter Twenty-One—The Coin Flip Chapter Twenty-Two—Your Grandfather’s Daughter

Editorial Reviews

This redemptive journey is a tenderly written, playful, yet surprisingly deep story.
In this humorous and intriguing tale of a young boy’s forays into family history and first love, author George Avant charms with the savvy workings of a plucky adolescent mind in The Strange Side of the Tracks.
The opening sentence—“I slipped a hollow-point bullet into my Remington single shot, .22 rifle and took a deep breath”—opens up Lonnie’s world and captures interest as the adventure begins. The journey is tenderly written, playful, yet surprisingly deep, showing appreciation of nature, history, and elderly relatives who are gateways to the past. Avant’s graceful writing style creates a tone reminiscent of another forthright story of adolescence, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It’s truly a loss that the book was published posthumously and there will be no more joyous use of language from Avant’s nimble mind.

ForeWord Reviews Felicia Seeburger