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 boot-legger, 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.
