Twelve year old Dovey Coe is accused of murdering her sister's ex-boyfriend. Set in the mountains of North Carolina and with a lyrical southern 'voice', Dovey's story rings very true. She comes from a poor but proud family, parents, older sister Caroline and older brother Amos, who is deaf. Dovey has always felt responsible for Amos, and together they roam the surrounding mountains looking for plants and herbs to sell to doctors in the city. Parnell Caraway, a spoiled, rich boy, is in love with Caroline, and Dovey, who detests Parnell and who has a hasty tongue, is too ready to show her hatred of him. When Caroline turns down Parnell's advances very publicly, he is out to get revenge, particularly on Dovey, and when he is found dead, and she is the only other person in the room, her guilt seems logical. The story of her trial and how and why she is found innocent makes up the rest of the book. Amos, who is mute as well as deaf, is looked upon as the village idiot. He is, in fact, very bright, and reads and writes fluently. One of the main themes of the books is Dovey's growing realisation that Amos is capable of looking after himself. The future looks bright for him, as a teacher of the deaf. This plot sounds like a soap opera. Trust me - it isn't! An excellent read.