This is southern gothic writing at its very best! I could not put it down. A devout southern mama, a traumatized veteran, a spider-wrangling preacher, a crooked sheriff, a couple of orphans, oh- and a husband-wife serial killing team; Pollock weaves together the lives of several characters taking them from the end of WWII through the 60s. What I learned: Don't make bargains with God... and read all of the Donald Ray Pollock work I can get my hands on! I want to know more about a place in Ohio called Knockemstiff.