A Painted House A Novel (original 2001; edition 2003)

For seven-year-old Luke Chandler, 1952 is proving to be a year filled with secrets. Heavily in debt and renting some of the most flood-prone land in Arkansas, his family must do whatever it takes to bring in a good cotton crop this yar. But Luke witnesses things that could threaten his famiy's entire community. A forbidden love affair is brewing between two of the Chandlers' migrant workers. Two brutal murders are committed. A fatherless baby is born. And someone has secretly begun painting the Chandler's dilapidated farmhouse, whose weathered clapboards make Luke's mother look wistfully on the missed opportunities of life. Beautifully evoking an extraordinary time and place, A Painted House has captivated millions of readers. Depicting aspects of family, community, trust, and faith through the eyes of a charming little boy.