Hell of a Book

In alternating chapters the novel tells two stories. One follows a nameless novelist on tour to promote a book that is also called Hell of a Book. The other follows Soot, an African-American child living near Whiteville, North Carolina, who is bullied on the school bus. The novelist, meanwhile, is troubled by visions of a child he calls ’The Kid’, who talks to him and seems to guide him through his troubles.