In rhythmic line, this tells of the intermeshed lives of orphan Danny, his uncle, Enid, and the family of the Preacher over the hill. Danny's mother had been seduced by a stranger and had died in childbirth, and for this, and the theft of his gold piece, Enid hates the boy - and loves him too, with a great protectiveness. He sells his farm to work elsewhere but on their journey they meet Mary, wife of the Preacher, and Enid falls in love with her. He goes to work for her husband and Danny becomes part of the household, part of the life of Mercidy, the grandmother, of the two boys, Jason and the Idiot. Enid is made uncomfortable by the knowledge that the child Mary bears is his; the Preacher, too, is poisoned by the event. When he is confronted by Enid he is betrayed as Danny's real father and Enid is the involuntary cause of his death. This deed forces him on his way, leaving Danny safe with Mary and his half-brothers. A poetic feel for the land and the people gives this something of a folk-tale quality. (Kirkus Reviews)