It’s 1963 and Chappy Luttrell and Red Murphy are on the verge of young adulthood. Concord, a small mill town in North Carolina, is heaven for them. They fish, camp, and run tricks on the loafers at the local curb market. Neither has any reason to think these simple, happy days won’t go on forever. The end of innocence comes with Wes Buncomb, an evil redneck, who takes an obsessive disliking to Chappy. Wes is a creature of hate; a swaggering, nihilistic sadist who finds satisfaction in the pain and degradation he inflicts upon others. Thus begins a trial of fire Chappy must endure until he finds salvation in a small, black prizefighter, an ancient Confederate veteran, and his own heart.