by Tom Franklin
First published 2020
In the backwoods of Alabama, men gather at hunting camps and fishing holes where the old rules still apply. They poach deer out of season, run illegal gambling operations, and drink until the bottles run dry. These are husbands who abandon their families, workers who steal from their employers, and neighbors who blackmail each other over petty crimes. The modern South pushes in from all sides, but these characters cling to a disappearing world of self-reliance and lawlessness. A poacher sets traps on land that no longer belongs to him. A gambling addict borrows money he cannot repay. A drunk driver leaves the scene of an accident. Each man faces a moment when his small rebellions catch up with him. Franklin captures characters who feel displaced by progress, trapped between a dying way of life and a future they never chose. These ten interconnected stories reveal men struggling against forces beyond their control.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, crime, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: displacement, rebellion
Setting: Alabama
Period: contemporary
256 pages · Paperback · Pulp Master
Content warnings: alcohol-abuse, violence