It's 1880-The crops have failed and his family is starving, so fourteen year-old Brody slips out into the early morning darkness, desperate to find food in the foothills of the Devil's Backbone. A terrible accident, a rescue by a delusional ex-slave, and a journey to find his family has Brody growing into a man... and also wanted for murder. "Temporarily blinded. Lost on a mountain. Wanted for murder. Brody is the ideal protagonist for the most reluctant of readers. With the perfect blend of history, suspense, and adventure, James Babb weaves a tale that artistically grabs the reader from the start, holds his attention until the end, then sends him running to the nearest library begging for a sequel." -Karen Wells,library media specialist and National Board Certified Teacher and current president of the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media, a STAR Discovery Educator, and a member of Discovery Education's Leadership Council. "A riveting tale of adventure with a cast of characters as tough and timeless as the rifles we make."-Anthony Imperato, President of Henry Repeating Arms "James Babb has crafted the extraordinary. Please, please do yourself a favor and read this."-Robert Bacon, The Perfect Write. "The Devil's Backbone is a humble adventure into the hard lives of those who lived in the shadow of a war that had long since ended... I couldn't put this book down, James Babb wrote a novel that is engaging. The hunger, the cold, and the friendship, it's hard not to get drawn into this story.-Mike Kendra, CivilWarTalk.com