Southern Cross the Dog

An epic odyssey in which a young man must choose between the lure of the future and the claims of the pastWith clouds looming ominously on the horizon, a group of children play among the roots of the gnarled Bone Tree. Their games will be interrupted by a merciless storm--bringing with it the Great Flood of 1927--but not before Robert Chatham shares his first kiss with the beautiful young Dora. The flood destroys their homes, disperses their families, and wrecks their innocence. But for Robert, a boy whose family has already survived unspeakable pain, that single kiss will sustain him for years to come.Losing virtually everything in the storm's aftermath, Robert embarks on a journey through the Mississippi hinterland--from a desperate refugee camp to the fiery brothel Hotel Beau-Miel and into the state's fearsome swamp, meeting piano-playing hustlers, well-intentioned whores, and a family of fierce and wild fur trappers along the way. But trouble follows close on...