Ottie's eight children survive in a world where bootlegging, moon shining, theft, and murder are disturbingly believable. Ottie's neglect of her children is heart-wrenching and the will of her children to survive and achieve is inspiring. The story is set in post-World War II Golden Valley, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia and the drama unfolds until each of Ottie's children has reached adulthood. One of the eight children, Fred, is the primary narrator of this heart-touching story. Through his eyes we see the inner soul and feel the pain of a small child who craved a mother's love, yet seldom even had as much as a cold meal prepared before he went to school. Through his eyes we see a son who also wanted a father's love, yet he never had that father even claim him as a son. It is an inspiring story of self-forgiveness and redemption.