A ""whole boiling"" of southern lore surrounds an intermeshed family story which touches on violence but which resolves its conflicts with peace -- and pride. A crow, a 'coon, a fox, a dog are most of young Colin's life, but soon the more human problems of his family and other adults become part of it too. Homegrown dialect, customs and inherited ways keep this local in feeling and form and a deep knowledge of the outdoor world hold a special attraction for those young stalwarts who are trying to learn its secrets.