Coerced by a vindictive malefactor, a runaway teen embarks on a spree of violence, thievery, and destruction. After a year of incarceration, he becomes a ward of the state under the guardianship of a small-town clergyman. In the interest of turning a new leaf, he sets out to become the ultimate man of honor; however, juvenile hijinks, a monstrous housemate, love's first bite, and raging wildfires provide formidable opposition. Tangled in angst, confronted by risk-laden crossroads, Ronnie Rix finds refuge among a family of scruffy old goats. With kindness and compassion, horn and hoof, these creatures guide him through the manly rites of passage. During the sweltering summer of 1965, the encompassing story follows the lives of a group of kids from the innocence of childhood through the horrors of war. Interwoven are the life struggles of veterans from three foreign conflicts: WW I, WW II, and Korea. Issues of substance abuse, mental illness, domestic abuse, and racism figure prominently. In the end, desperate threads of prayer face a wrathful jury. Judgment's gavel hammers down on the raw, frayed edge of an Asian jungle where faith, fate, and courage make their final peace. -- back of cover.