Judas Cain-—a lonely man simply trying to survive The Great Depression—suddenly stumbles into a job he doesn’t want, falls in love with a prostitute who doesn’t love him, and incurs the wrath of the most dangerous man in Mississippi. Then World War II explodes!
What They Are Saying About Yard Man
A gently paced story set in a small town in the Deep South in the early 1940s, Yard Man in many respects resembles Saul Bellow’s The Adventures of Augie March.
The open-heartedness of the protagonist, Judas Cain, and his ability to discern human worth beneath a tarnished reputation also call to mind Forrest Gump.
But Judas Cain descends more directly from the most iconic vagabond in American literature, Huckleberry Finn. Only, unlike Huck, Judas Cain lit out for the territory a long time ago. The questions in his case are whether he can find his way back, and if so, how long he’ll stay.
