Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards - 2001-08-21

At the age of 12, Sydney Henderson pushes his friend Connie Devlin from the church roof. Looking down on Connie's motionless body, Sydney believes he is dead. Let Connie live and I will never harm another soul, Sydney vows to God. At that moment, Connie stands up, wipes his bloody nose, and with a laugh, walks away. In the years that follow, the self-educated, brilliant and now almost pathologically gentle Sydney holds true to his promise. Yet others in the small rural community regard Sydney's pacifism as an opportunity to exploit and torment the vulnerable Hendersons. Raised on the books his father has long collected, Sydney's eldest son Lyle shares a deep respect for the power of words. But forced to witness the persecution of those he love,Lyle turns his back on God and literature and adopts a more aggressive strategy for the protection of his family.