Paul Brown's most fascinating account of writer James Rufus Agee's life, centering around the loss of young Rufus' father at an all-too-early age, is a must read not only for any Agee enthusiast, but for anyone wanting to discover Agee as well. The author treats the reader to the key events of Agee's life, yes, but his magic is in pulling the curtain back and revealing the larger picture, the young boy's feelings and experiences placed within the context of his family, extended family, neighbors, confidantes - those who knew him - captured through interviews, documents, photos, an extraordinary sense of place, and any other valid information Mr. Brown could unearth. And he unearths a treasure trove. I am an Agee fan, but found so much in this book that I didn't previously know. Upon finishing the book, I have an even deeper sense of the pain young Rufus endured and the incredible transformation of that pain into the hush of awe and respect for Agee's ability to render the deepest altruistic levels of empathy for every individual James Rufus Agee captured so uniquely in both his fiction and non-fiction. No writer treats their subjects with as much respect as Agee does; through Paul Brown, we know more fully how this developed. ( )