As World War II threatens the United States in 1941, Junior Bledsoe fights his own battles at home. He struggles with school and with anger--at his late father, his insufferable granddaddy, his neighbors, and himself--as he desperately tries to find his own aim in life. But he finds relief escaping to the quiet of the nearby woods and tinkering with cars, something he learned from his pop. And a fatherly neighbor provides much-needed guidance. This heartfelt and inspiring novel about a boy learning to accept the past and create his own future also includes an author's note and bibliography.