Some kids have to grow up fast. This is the story of Lonnie Tobin, one such young man. Weary of the physical abuse his mother is subjected to from his father, he takes matt ers into his own hands. Convincing her to flee their fearful home life, son and mother sneak away in the night to the small town of Rocky Branch, where they find peace with her family. It is a corner of the world he thought they had left behind forever. But mysteries abound in this little wooded village, and an unexpected adventure begins when word of a nightly monster on the loose stirs fear among the residents. Young Lonnie soon forgets about his father and becomes fascinated by the story, only to find he might be spending a litt le too much time on The Strange Side of the Tracks. This redemptive journey is a tenderly written, playful, yet surprisingly deep story. In this humorous and intriguing tale of a young boy’s forays into family history and first love, author George Avant charms with the savvy workings of a plucky adolescent mind in  The Strange Side of the Tracks. The opening sentence—“I slipped a hollow-point bullet into my Remington single shot, .22 rifle and took a deep breath”—opens up Lonnie’s world and captures interest as the adventure begins. The journey is tenderly written, playful, yet surprisingly deep, showing appreciation of nature, history, and elderly relatives who are gateways to the past. Avant’s graceful writing style creates a tone reminiscent of another forthright story of adolescence,  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . It’s truly a loss that the book was published posthumously and there will be no more joyous use of language from Avant’s nimble mind. ― Felicia Seeburger, ForeWord Reviews This redemptive journey is a tenderly written, playful, yet surprisingly deep story. In this humorous and intriguing tale of a young boy’s forays into family history and first love, author George Avant charms with the savvy workings of a plucky adolescent mind in The Strange Side of the Tracks. The opening sentence—“I slipped a hollow-point bullet into my Remington single shot, .22 rifle and took a deep breath”—opens up Lonnie’s world and captures interest as the adventure begins. The journey is tenderly written, playful, yet surprisingly deep, showing appreciation of nature, history, and elderly relatives who are gateways to the past. Avant’s graceful writing style creates a tone reminiscent of another forthright story of adolescence, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . It’s truly a loss that the book was published posthumously and there will be no more joyous use of language from Avant’s nimble mind. --Felicia Seeburger , ForeWord Reviews The Strange Side of the Tracks takes us back to revisit childhood days when summer vacations spent with relatives invited investigation of new surroundings, and in this story, opened an opportunity to explore the possibilities of an unsolved mystery that perplexed even the grown ups of this little town. Avant’s writing flows like honey, sweet and tasteful, leaving an aftertaste of total satisfaction. —Dave Potter, Author of “A Place of Stones”  GEORGE LARRY AVANT (December 22, 1950 - November 8, 2012) passed away just months after signing the publication contract for this, his first and only novel. George travelled all over the country with his family as a radio broadcaster for thirty years, often serving in gospel ministry. For many years, he was half of The Light Brothers, a comedy duo. A writer, humorist, painter, and avid reader, Avant returned late in life to rural Arkansas, to a small town rich with history and personal memories, where he was inspired to write this novel. He left behind a daughter and two sons, all of who helped George bring his work to completion, and assisted editors in preparing the text for publication.