"One Mississippi" by Mark Childress

After finishing this book, I really liked it. A third of the way in, I had been worried that the story would be too simple. This bildungsroman concerns Daniel, a boy who moves from Indiana to Mississippi in the early 1970's. The first half of the book follows Daniel as he puts his toe in the waters of such topics as race, religion, and homosexuality. But he never goes for a swim.

Until the end. Finally, we get to know Daniel. Perhaps this was Childress' aim all along.