“One of the most compelling voices in fiction of the last decade.”

—The Los Angeles Times
Text Box: Fifteen year old Meely LaBauve is growing up on Catahoula Bayou and living by his wits. His father is an alligator hunter, never quite able to cope with the death of his wife eight years before. So he hides in hooch and the company of companionable women and disappears for days at a time. School, for Meely, is a long, dusty walk away in a place where truancy isn't a top priority. "Up at Catahoula School, we've got all the grades. I'm in ninth when I'm in anything at all," says Meely. But the law has it out for Meely's dad and Junior, the local bully whose uncle is a bully of a cop, considers badgering Meely as his favorite sport. Text Box: Praise for Meely LaBauve… “Lean, nimble and wise.” —Publishers Weekly “Expert and funny.” —The New York Times “An endearing debut novel.” —The Washington Post “A lively and engaging story that never falters...a stunning debut.” —Booklist “Meely’s Cajun-spiced charisma never flags.” —Entertainment Weekly “There’s a major talent at work here.” —The Denver Post “Sweet, funny and fast moving.” —The New Orleans Times Picayune“ An unforgettable character, an unforgettable book.” —The Anniston (Ala.) Star. “A romp in the swamps as spicy as Momma’s favorite gumbo.” —Tony Horwitz

Jacket design by Honi Werner @2000

 
Text Box: Honors… A Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” Book, 2000 A YALSA/American Library Association Best Book of the Year, 2001 Short List, South Carolina Library Association’s Best Young Adult Novel, 2003

When the LaBauves find themselves in the law’s sights, it takes baseball bats, fire ants, flying alligators, a misidentified corpse, and a lot of fast thinking to set things right.

     Not since Huck Finn rafted down the Mississippi has there been a coming-of-age story like this, told in such an utterly authentic American voice. From a charming encounter with first love in Cancienne's corn patch to a startling look at race relations in the deep, deep South, Wells has cooked up a zesty gumbo of a book--rich, poignant and, at  turns, hilarious.