The Schooling of Claybird Catts - by Janis Owens (Paperback)

About the Book

When his charismatic uncle comes to town to fill the hole left by his father's tragic death, the past comes roaring into the present and Clayton's assumptions about himself and those he loves are forever altered. The result is a beguiling novel told in the rich, storytelling Southern tradition.

From the Back Cover

To be perfectly honest, the day my father died really wasn't the worst day of my life.

When his beloved father, Michael, dies, Claybird Catts finds solace in the company of his close-knit family -- his mysterious and beautiful mother, Myra; his lovable, know-it-all sister, Missy; his newly grown-up brother, Simon; and his devoted grandmother, Cissie. Devastated by his loss, but secure in their love, Claybird feels as though life could almost go on as usual in their small, sleepy Southern hometown.

Until Uncle Gabe comes back.

A stranger to Claybird, Uncle Gabe is a brilliant academic who disappeared twenty years ago. Despite the deep mystery that surrounds him, Gabe's humor and intellect shine, and he quickly positions himself in the role of the Catts family's patriarch, filling the role of Claybird's dead father. Gabe and Claybird become coconspirators and best friends, until a slip of the tongue unveils the real history of their relationship, a heart-wrenching revelation that turns Claybird's world upside down.

Review Quotes

"Embracing all the contradictions of a Southern childhood, Janis Owens' novel achieves a life-affirming vision. In a voice of remarkable originality and freshness, young Claybird narrates his wayward journey from denial to consolation." - Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab's Wife
"Thoroughly engaging ... Owens has beautifully and convincingly captured the lilting rhythms and cadences of a Southern childhood." - Boston Globe
"Janis Owens possesses one of the freshest and most original literary voices I have read of late. Claybird Catts is a mesmerizing narrator: honest and funny and wise beyond his years. This is a wonderful novel." - Connie May Fowler, author of Before Women Had Wings
"Janis Owens' haunting characters will stay with you, like a quiet song playing in your memory, long after you have finished the novel." - Loraine Despres, author of The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc
"Warm and affirming." - Kirkus Reviews
"A sumptuous, life-affirming treat." - Orlando Sentinel