Southern Cross Dog Collar - Durable Nylon Pet Collar with Adjustable Buckle for Small, Medium & Large Dogs - Perfect for Walking, Training & Outdoor Adventures

I purchased this book on the strength of the review in the New York Times. I was not disappointed; the book exceeded my expectations.Having spent a degree of time in the rural, poor South I found every aspect of Mr. Cheng's story to be evocative of that place and the plight of its people. In fact, as the story reached its conclusion I recognized it as a foreshadowing, and in that foreshadowing found a harsh and bitter condemnation, and an explanation for why today the sick legacy lives on.From the poverty, to the ignorance, superstition and sadism, this story has it all. Child abuse. Racism. Monstrous violence. Destruction of the environment. Deprivation. Misery. Hideous ignorance. All still happening today in that part of this country.Far from "pretentious," I found the writing riveting. Unique descriptions of the climate are foremost. In one sentence, the character is sweating, oppressed, yet feels a chill, feels cold. It even snows! Wow, if you just picked out Mr. Cheng's weather descriptors you could write a dissertation on their significance.Also after reading the surprisingly paltry reviews of the book here to date, I disagree whole-heartedly that the characters weren't well fleshed out. Robert, each of his parents, his brother Billy, and the cast of folks he meets along the way are still vivid in my eye, days after finishing the book.So, dear prospective-reader, do not off-put be by what you read in some of the reviews here. If you want to FEEL the blues, buy and treasure this book.