~ finding the right voice ~
Clay's father was long gone by then. Surrounded by aunts and uncles, loyal friends and cousins, Clay loves his town of Free Creek. But what he doesn't have - a mother, a father, sisters or brothers - is what gnaws at him year after year. And what leads him to leave Free Creek and try to make a life of his own. ". "This is the story of how Clay, a coal miner in love with his hometown but unsure of his place within it, finds the family he's been seeking. And it's the story of the people who become part of the life he shapes: from his religious Aunt Easter to Uncle Paul, the skilled quilter who teaches Clay that you can make a beautiful thing out of bits and pieces. At the heart of it all is Alma, the fiddler whose song and quiet spirit wend their way into Clay's heart, saving him just as he approaches the brink of despair. Together, they help Clay to fashion a life from what treasured pieces are around him and to see the family that has been right beside him all along. "--BOOK JACKET.