Southernmost, Silas House author; Charlie Thurston, narrator Asher Sharp is a preacher in Tennessee. After a terrible flood, his son Justin runs away to find their dog Roscoe. When he returns, he brings home two gay men, men who have helped save some of Asher’s own parishioners from the raging, rising waters. This simple gesture of kindness horrifies his wife, Lydia. She considers the men an abomination and while she will feed them, she does not want them to attend Asher’s church or to be around Justin. However, Asher has an epiphany, at this time, because of the tragic flood. In the past, his mother had rejected his own gay brother. Because of his religious beliefs and his wife’s insistence., he did the same. Now he is agonizing about that decision and is tormented by it. Guilt and shame fill him. He wants to welcome the gay men. He and Lydia argue about it, and she is relentless. She begs him to see it her way. She won’t bring those men into her son’s life or her church. Justin is small for his nine years. He is sensitive, and Lydia believes he feels too much. She thinks it isn’t right for boys to be so sensitive. She has secretly been taking him to a psychiatrist. When Asher discovers this, he is furious. He does not want his son treated for caring too much or being emotional and thoughtful. Justin is wiser than his years and seems older. He does not want him given drugs to change him. When Asher supports bringing the gay men into the church, he is voted out and replaced as Pastor. After he is terminated, Asher addresses the parishioners and reprimands them for rejecting the stranger.. Someone films hIs outburst and the video goes viral on utube. It makes him look like not only has he lost his way, but he has also had an emotional breakdown. Asher leaves Lydia and moves into a trailer. Lydia is very hurt and angry. When she begins to restrict Asher’s visits with Justin, he panics. His love for his son is overwhelming, and he won’t consider losing him. When Lydia demands supervised visits, he suffers through them, but when she sues for full custody and wins, Asher reaches the end of his rope. He cannot imagine seeing his son so infrequently, even without supervision. He decides to kidnap him. Asher runs to Key West in search of his brother Luke. He wants forgiveness for his past behavior toward him and believes he and Justin will be safe there. This is the story of a broken man trying to knit himself together again. It is a story about conversion therapy for gay men, without directly saying it. It is a story that confronts homophobia head-on with honesty and insight. It is a story about a little child caught in the middle because he shows signs of softness, and although it is never said directly, one gets the feeling his mom, Lydia, believes he has gay tendencies which must be cleansed from him. This is a story about learning to accept difference. It is filled with irony. It is this child, Justin, who will embody the hope that will lead them out of the wilderness. He believes in “the everything”!