My Last Days as Roy Rogers

“Like To Kill a Mockingbird, this book paints a distinctly Southern picture of friendship, justice, and the bond between outcasts.” —St. Petersburg Times In an Alabama town in the early 1950s during the last polio summer before the Salk vaccine, ten-year-old Tabitha “Tab” Rutland is about to have the time of her life. Although movie theaters and pools have been closed to stem the epidemic, Tab, a tomboy with a passion for Roy Rogers, still seeks adventure with her best friend Maudie May, “the lightest brown colored person” she knows. Now as they meddle with the local bootlegger, Mr. Jake, row out on the Tennessee River to land the biggest catfish ever, and snoop into the town’s darkest secrets, Tab sets out to be a hero . . . and comes of age in an unforgettable confrontation with human frailty, racial injustice, and the healing power of love. “Engaging . . . Eminently readable . . . I read it over three times just to enjoy it again.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer “Offers up a huge, delicious helping of life, Southern style . . . Made me smile and, at times, laugh out loud.” —Birmingham News “Engaging . . . graceful . . . [with] characters finely drawn . . . Devoto has an ear and eye for the vagaries of family and loyalty.” —The Denver Post  “Devoto provides a highly readable and entertaining novel packed full of rich and delightful dialogue, funny situations and vignettes, and all-to-human insights and drama.” —Library Journal