Jody Baxter, his father, Penny, and his mother, Ora, live on an island of high good land surrounded by the Florida scrub. It is a meager existence, often filled with hardship, but the Baxters get by on what they have. Jody and his father have a special relationship, sharing a common love of nature and the simple pleasures of life. Penny is indulgent, allowing Jody to "kick up his heels" while he can. "The day'll come," Penny thinks, "he'll not even...