Watermelon Road

The murder of Joel Creek created a ripple effect in the small town of Horace Graves, Alabama. His mother's lover, Uncle Sax, made a promise to kill everyone involved in the boy's death. Petey, Joel's younger brother witnessed the murder but could not tell what he knew for fear of his own life. Only Jesse, Petey's best friend knew how badly Petey had been affected by his brother's death. In the summer of 1935, the two boys shared a gift and a secret that changed the town and their lives forever. The end of the novel was written to ask a question of the reader. Due to the events of that period, Madeline's answer to the question was "Yes."