Negotiating Puberty

Francis Flanders came of age on the familiar streets of Paebety, South Dakota. From day one, he could lay claim to being the youngest in his class at Paebety Elementary School. Being the biggest child in school made him easy to notice. But it wasn't his size or his age that made Francis a noteworthy lad. It was how he bargained his way through adolescence that makes him worthy of note. A boy who braved the loneliness of growing up and negotiated soul saving settlements with his heritage, friendships, authority, the ten commandments, war, relationships, drugs and fidelity, while coming to terms with a candid assessment of his own shortcomings. And he did it all without the help of the internet.