Little Boys Bad
by Weldon Payne
Blackwater for young
Ray Atkins was a harsh and lonely world. Struggling to adapt, he
teetered on the edge of ruin, but midst his isolation, confusion,
and grasping for acceptance, Ray never forgot the "handful of truly
wise women who had survived years in the mining camp and
seen their young die, cooking for the families when the cheap
caskets were placed in their crowded, stuffy front rooms... sweeping
other women's floors and washing clothes... stripping sheets off beds
moments after a soul departed." These women knew what it was all about.
They knew, too, about the tough but phony shells that kids often hid
behind. Then one hot August day, a tall basketball player, pedaling a
second-hand bicycle, rode into Blackwater...
Recent comments from readers:
“I’ve just finished reading Little Boys Bad, and
I’m astounded. A brilliant piece of work... It was really chilling that you’ve gotten into
these people’s heads so well after all these years and have created such
a poignant look at the trials and tribulations of growing up. What you’ve
written is universal... I think any man who
reads it, regardless of where he grew up or how stable his home environment,
will identify with Ray and see his friends and acquaintances in other
characters.”
---Nick Sullivan, Hermitage
Tn
"I think this may be your best work yet."
--- William, Houston Tx
“Your book is a winner. Your descriptions are
evocative of a world few will remember. It certainly should be on the library
shelves of every coal mining town in the country. Truly remarkable.”
-–
Patty Bonkemeyer, Gainesville,
Fla.