Jake Hinkson

At the start of this exceptional tale of crime and courage from Hinkson (Dry County), 18-year-old Lily Stevens, who’s 25 weeks pregnant and the daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, walks into the Conway, Ark., police station to report that her fiancé and the father of her child, college dropout Peter Cutchin, has been missing for more than a week. The last time Lily saw Peter, a Friday after school, he was strangely quiet. The police chief learns from Peter’s mother that her son has gone to Little Rock and is staying with some friends there, though she doesn’t know where exactly. Unable to get help from her family, her church, or police authorities, Lily turns to her unacknowledged uncle, Allan Woodson, a desk clerk at the run-down inn where Peter worked. Allan, an outcast because he’s gay, reluctantly accompanies Lily to morally decadent Little Rock in search of Peter. Sharply delineated characters are matched by assured prose. Bigotry and religious intolerance are counterpointed by compassion and reconciliation. This sensitive novel, a parable for today’s harsh social conflicts, is not to be missed.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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