Lanterns in the Dawn--humorous, sad, realistic, and bittersweet--is the coming-of-age story of a boy living on a small Midwestern dirt farm. It is written in sparse, clear prose with an undertone of haunting images true to the imagination and insights of childhood. Through sharply drawn characters, it depicts a way of life from a recent yet bygone era that likely will never return. Above all, it is the story of strong pioneer-spirited people who loved the land so dearly they somehow managed to survive in it and through it, as if they were a permanent part of it throughout the ages.
