What do you think?
Rate this book
The Resurrection of Hucklebuck Jones
Florida, 1955...Two men are missing.
The sudden disappearance of Pete Demopoulos is front-page news. A bloody crime scene points to violence, and everyone wants to know what happened to the successful husband, father, and heir-apparent to his family's chain of grocery stores.
Hucklebuck Jones is missing, too. When he's not doing odd jobs for pocket change, Hucklebuck, a Negro deaf mute, lives alone in the swamps. Despite his cheerful demeanor, Hucklebuck scares folks. His disappearance goes unnoticed.
If only the truth were known.
Maryland, 1960...Twinton County has never seen the likes of the new teacher they call Buck. Soon after accepting a position at the local Negro school, Buck challenges the white establishment and helps integrate the public library and a local lunch counter. He also catches the eye of colleague Dottie Hanford. Together they become a formidable force against the status quo.
Then, a single act of violence undermines Buck's efforts. A riot erupts. Three people are dead, and Buck's secrets are exposed. On the run and with no one else to turn to, Buck places his survival in the hands of an unlikely person from his past. What happens next is the stuff of which great stories are made. The Resurrection of Hucklebuck Jones is equal parts historical fiction, social commentary, and love story.
Amazon Reader Reviews for The Resurrection of Hucklebuck
What an emotional ride. I was sad, filled with pride, frantic, upset, relieved, and happy. You fall in love with the characters.
Great prose! Great character development. Twists that keep you turning the pages.
The author's description of social and ethnically segregated institutions in the 1950's is eerily true to life.
The sudden disappearance of Pete Demopoulos is front-page news. A bloody crime scene points to violence, and everyone wants to know what happened to the successful husband, father, and heir-apparent to his family's chain of grocery stores.
Hucklebuck Jones is missing, too. When he's not doing odd jobs for pocket change, Hucklebuck, a Negro deaf mute, lives alone in the swamps. Despite his cheerful demeanor, Hucklebuck scares folks. His disappearance goes unnoticed.
If only the truth were known.
Maryland, 1960...Twinton County has never seen the likes of the new teacher they call Buck. Soon after accepting a position at the local Negro school, Buck challenges the white establishment and helps integrate the public library and a local lunch counter. He also catches the eye of colleague Dottie Hanford. Together they become a formidable force against the status quo.
Then, a single act of violence undermines Buck's efforts. A riot erupts. Three people are dead, and Buck's secrets are exposed. On the run and with no one else to turn to, Buck places his survival in the hands of an unlikely person from his past. What happens next is the stuff of which great stories are made. The Resurrection of Hucklebuck Jones is equal parts historical fiction, social commentary, and love story.
Amazon Reader Reviews for The Resurrection of Hucklebuck
What an emotional ride. I was sad, filled with pride, frantic, upset, relieved, and happy. You fall in love with the characters.
Great prose! Great character development. Twists that keep you turning the pages.
The author's description of social and ethnically segregated institutions in the 1950's is eerily true to life.
394 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2017
27 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Paul E. Wootten
7 books4 followersHome is Galestown, Maryland. I was born there and it remains with me. My parents are farmers. My grandparents were farmers. My brother is a farmer. Everyone knew early on that I wasn't going to be a farmer. You have to be able to see to be a farmer. They plant straight rows, examine young plants for insects and disease, and deliver crops to market. I wasn't able to do any of that.
I was blind.
Well, not totally blind, like "blind like a bat" blind (Though you should know that bats aren't really blind). I was legally blind, the result of an eye disease called Scheie Syndrome. I could see faces and landscape, and could read just fine if I held the books close enough. Driving a pickup, tractor, combine or bean-picker, though? No chance. Those things cost lots of money and there was no way Dad was entrusting them to me. I always had bicycles, though, and when I was eleven I got a mini-bike for Christmas. Despite crashing into a hay elevator, slamming through a large wooden storage box, and almost hanging myself on fishing nets strung out to dry, I survived.
During high school, I decided I wanted to become a teacher. There were some good role models in Dorchester County. After four years at Western Kentucky University, I moved to Perryville, Missouri where I taught Marketing and Business classes for seven wonderful years. That area of Southeast Missouri serves as a backdrop for most of Harvest of Thorns, and folks in that area will recognize plenty of names and locations.
Unfortunately, my vision was deteriorating. The writing on my teacher notes was getting larger and the back of the class was pretty much impossible to see. A St. Louis ophthalmologist confirmed I was losing my sight.
But, he said, there was hope.
A cornea transplant. Still considered experimental in the 1980's, but as the doc said, "You don't have much to lose by trying."
And guess what? It worked!
Within a few months, my vision had improved dramatically. I could see things I never saw before, like leaves on a tree and blades of grass. Best of all, I was able to pass the driver's test. At age 28 I bought a red sports car and accumulated speeding tickets like candy.
Eventually, I slowed down. My career took a turn toward school leadership. Along the way, I accepted Jesus into my life. That happened while watching a famous TV evangelist one day when school was called off because of snow. I wish I could say it's been smooth sailing ever since. God never left me, though I sure pulled away from Him plenty of times. I fell short, stumbled, and fell, but discovered that His love for me never wavered. It's because of His love that my writing is aimed at solving real-world issues using Biblical truths. My books aren't always comfortable. They're pretty gritty, actually. People get hurt, even killed. Unkind things are said and situations sometimes reach the breaking point - just like real life. But also like real life, we serve a God who is bigger than our problems. I want that to shine through.
My wife Robin is the most upbeat, optimistic person I know. She and I split our time between Kansas City and Florida's Gulf Coast. We have four grown kids, Jill, Lynnea, Cody, and Alison, a son-in-law, Bryce, and daughter-in-law, Kelcy. In January, 2016, Jill and Bryce gave us our first grandchild, Fletcher Wade. You'll find his mug all over the place.
In 2011 I retired from the field of education. Since then, I've worked for the Kansas City Royals, who pay me to watch baseball and be nice to people. Along the way I've written freelance features on a variety of subjects for Royals Baseball Insider and a number of local and national publications. Harvest of Thorns is my first attempt at fiction. I hope you like it!
I was blind.
Well, not totally blind, like "blind like a bat" blind (Though you should know that bats aren't really blind). I was legally blind, the result of an eye disease called Scheie Syndrome. I could see faces and landscape, and could read just fine if I held the books close enough. Driving a pickup, tractor, combine or bean-picker, though? No chance. Those things cost lots of money and there was no way Dad was entrusting them to me. I always had bicycles, though, and when I was eleven I got a mini-bike for Christmas. Despite crashing into a hay elevator, slamming through a large wooden storage box, and almost hanging myself on fishing nets strung out to dry, I survived.
During high school, I decided I wanted to become a teacher. There were some good role models in Dorchester County. After four years at Western Kentucky University, I moved to Perryville, Missouri where I taught Marketing and Business classes for seven wonderful years. That area of Southeast Missouri serves as a backdrop for most of Harvest of Thorns, and folks in that area will recognize plenty of names and locations.
Unfortunately, my vision was deteriorating. The writing on my teacher notes was getting larger and the back of the class was pretty much impossible to see. A St. Louis ophthalmologist confirmed I was losing my sight.
But, he said, there was hope.
A cornea transplant. Still considered experimental in the 1980's, but as the doc said, "You don't have much to lose by trying."
And guess what? It worked!
Within a few months, my vision had improved dramatically. I could see things I never saw before, like leaves on a tree and blades of grass. Best of all, I was able to pass the driver's test. At age 28 I bought a red sports car and accumulated speeding tickets like candy.
Eventually, I slowed down. My career took a turn toward school leadership. Along the way, I accepted Jesus into my life. That happened while watching a famous TV evangelist one day when school was called off because of snow. I wish I could say it's been smooth sailing ever since. God never left me, though I sure pulled away from Him plenty of times. I fell short, stumbled, and fell, but discovered that His love for me never wavered. It's because of His love that my writing is aimed at solving real-world issues using Biblical truths. My books aren't always comfortable. They're pretty gritty, actually. People get hurt, even killed. Unkind things are said and situations sometimes reach the breaking point - just like real life. But also like real life, we serve a God who is bigger than our problems. I want that to shine through.
My wife Robin is the most upbeat, optimistic person I know. She and I split our time between Kansas City and Florida's Gulf Coast. We have four grown kids, Jill, Lynnea, Cody, and Alison, a son-in-law, Bryce, and daughter-in-law, Kelcy. In January, 2016, Jill and Bryce gave us our first grandchild, Fletcher Wade. You'll find his mug all over the place.
In 2011 I retired from the field of education. Since then, I've worked for the Kansas City Royals, who pay me to watch baseball and be nice to people. Along the way I've written freelance features on a variety of subjects for Royals Baseball Insider and a number of local and national publications. Harvest of Thorns is my first attempt at fiction. I hope you like it!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 25, 2018
I couldn't put it down!
I have to admit that when i first started reading this, I put it down for awhile. However, when i had some free time, I decided to pick it back up and I'm so glad i did. It's amazing how and where life's journey will take you! I would have given this five stars but I wanted more.
I have to admit that when i first started reading this, I put it down for awhile. However, when i had some free time, I decided to pick it back up and I'm so glad i did. It's amazing how and where life's journey will take you! I would have given this five stars but I wanted more.
October 24, 2019
Good story, keeps you engaged.
My favorite portion of the book was about Hucklebuck Jobes. I didn't care for the asylum portion of the story, it seemed a bit over the top. Over all of was a Good book. A great book for students wanting to know a little more about integration.
My favorite portion of the book was about Hucklebuck Jobes. I didn't care for the asylum portion of the story, it seemed a bit over the top. Over all of was a Good book. A great book for students wanting to know a little more about integration.
August 29, 2019
Slow start, Great finish
The story had a bit of a slow start and I even questioned whether I would finish the book. However, once it picked up, it didn't slow down. A really good read. I don't really know how to categorize it except as good.
The story had a bit of a slow start and I even questioned whether I would finish the book. However, once it picked up, it didn't slow down. A really good read. I don't really know how to categorize it except as good.
March 7, 2020
A couple funnies from the book:
The way Hal Demopoulos spun around in his chair, one would think Pete was proposing burlesque dancers in the candy aisle.
Elena stared at him like one might a chinchilla in a wedding dress.
The way Hal Demopoulos spun around in his chair, one would think Pete was proposing burlesque dancers in the candy aisle.
Elena stared at him like one might a chinchilla in a wedding dress.
July 7, 2019
Once I got into this book and invested in the characters, I just couldn’t put it down! Really loved it.
August 14, 2019
interesting story and liked the characters but too many coincidences and a bit unrealistic situations for me.
January 17, 2022
Nice read for rainy day.
A little less plausible toward the end, but still enjoyable. Good plotting most of the book. Some characters a bit thin.
A little less plausible toward the end, but still enjoyable. Good plotting most of the book. Some characters a bit thin.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews