Ripples in the Water: Community

A mere youth faced the mostpowerful men in school, a David facing not one Goliath but two.¿ Alone, he challenged them, holding firm, notwavering, obstinately standing up for what he knew was right.¿ He stood before them and fought to stop whatwas being done to his new friend, a friend who was going through terriblepersecution because he was different.¿The youth had lain awake the night before and planned to go to war.¿ He had pledged on his sacred honor to fightto help this friend. No one knew of this pledge. Except God, so Andy knew hecouldn't back out. He had everything to lose, but still he stayed and faced thebullies because he knew what was going on was wrong.¿ Besides, his father had made him a man that morning, and a realman didn't turn and run like a craven coward, his tail between his legs. Andystayed firm and soon others stood with him, challenging the bullies, too.¿ By afternoon, the whole community wasinvolved in what was now being called, "Andy's War." This sequel to The Other Son continues the story of theBjorn family and Jock, the strange boy who blew into their barn in a ragingblizzard, nearly dead.¿ If Gus and Annieare to save Jock's life, they need to rush him to a specialist in Denver,leaving their children home, not realizing they are leaving them alone facinglife-threatening circumstances. The book is the continuing storyof Jock, who for the first time in his life finds a family who loves him, afamily willing to sacrifice anything they can to get him well.¿ Jock has been so lost, so bitter, so alonebefore he came, can he believe the family actually want him, that they won'tthrow him away as his mother did, that he really can turn his life around andbecome a different person, one the family will be proud of?Ripples in the Water also shows a cross-section of a small, ruralcommunity in the Great Depression.¿ Fromthe crusty old janitor, Pete, who recites poetry to the new banker, T. CameronRoss from Boston, who thinks he has arrived at the end of th