First published 1960
Captain Wade Hunnicutt rules his East Texas domain like a feudal lord. The town's most powerful man keeps his wife Hannah trapped in their grand house while he fathers children with women across the county. His legitimate son Theron grows up worshipping his father's strength and reputation. But when Theron discovers the truth about Wade's affairs and his own half-brother Rafe, the family's carefully maintained facade begins to crumble. Hannah has spent years in silent suffering, while Wade continues his conquests without consequence. The revelation of family secrets sets father against son and threatens to tear apart everything Wade has built. At its heart, this is a story about the price of masculine pride and the women who pay for men's failures.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, secrets-and-lies
Setting: East Texas
Period: 20th Century
312 pages · Hardcover · Knopf
Content warnings: domestic-violence