Gabriel's Well

When a mysterious geologist stumbles in out of the rain with tales of hidden oil deposits on the outskirts of town, Cluvarous Jones and his family will never be the same. Set on the boom-or-bust frontier at the turn of the century, this is a timeless tale of greed, sedition and one man's courageous refusal to compromise his word, told through the eyes of his not-so-constant son. Clue's father is a well-respected banker and keeper of the land records, but when he refuses to confiscate the oil-rich property from a couple of Indians, the specter of vast wealth is enough to incite revolt among the townspeople. Before long, Clue's home is in flames, his mother lies wounded in the street, and he and his sister are sent to live in the hills with the mysterious Indians who are at the heart of the problem, Gabriel and Keziah Jane. There are more than enough delightful plot twists to keep you on your toes, but at its heart, this is a book about the triumph of life over materialism in the finest tradition of The Christmas Box and Tuesdays with Morrie.