The Edge of the Wedge

The 1950's were idyllic, yet challenging times. In this insightful and often humorous semi-autobiographical novel, Osburn portrays life as a teenager in rural eastern Arkansas as anything but boring. However, would his conservative upbringing, revivals, and the Scout Oath see him through?While things were looking up after the war, time-honored ways were up for grabs. Federal intervention in desegregation shook old foundations. Rock and roll was attracting a generation of accepting musicians across racial barriers. Emerging counter-culturalism was beginning to challenge traditional values. In the face of modernism, old time religion was entrenching. Unavoidable questions demanded rethinking everything held sacred by the Southern mind-set --the status quo, prosperity, segregation, the political system, religion, social classes. Where might "the thin edge of the wedge" lead?In this engaging anecdotal account, a boy is caught in the cultural lag that kept diehard Southern culture from dealing with the harsh realities of a changing world. His coming to terms with critical issues of the time is an interesting search for values and, half a century later, is loaded with contemporary relevance.