Succeeding at a challenging task, Jon Clinch brilliantly creates a prequel to Mark Twain's classic, shedding light on one of American literature's most mysterious figures: Huckleberry Finn's father. A body drifts down the Mississippi, and the secret of the victim's identity will shape Finn's life and his death. Along the way Clinch introduces a cast of unforgettable characters: Finn's terrifying father, known only as the Judge; blind Bliss, a moonshiner; quick-witted Mary, a stolen slave who becomes Finn's mistress; and of course, young Huck himself.