Floating Twigs

It's 1968 in the rural coastline town of Denton, Florida, and the only thing with a tougher life than 12-year-old Jack Turner is a starving dog named Bones. When they meet while Jack is fishing, Jack knows that he and Bones are meant for each other, and he promises his oft-absent alcoholic parents that he'll somehow get a job to pay for his new dog's food and care.

Jack Turner has returned to his hometown of Denton, Florida, to live there for the first time in 18 years. Despite a career as a criminal defense attorney and the companionship of his new dog, Brinkley, Jack is haunted by what is missing in his life. Whether it’s the unanswered questions about his brother, Rick, who never returned from Vietnam, or a budding romance with Jenny Walton, Jack is wary of getting close to anyone beyond a few trusted friends and his beloved dogs.

Fifteen-year-old Brandy Shaw, like most girls her age, deals with private demons. Forced to leave her hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for Denton, Florida, she manages to forget the boy she left behind for a new one, Travis Daly. But Travis has his own problems that end up affecting Brandy in a number of destructive ways.

Thirteen-year-old Maureen Lindstrom has serious misgivings when her grandmother comes to live with her and her mother. They’ve never been close, despite living in the same town of Denton, Florida, where Maureen has grown up. Despite her hope that their relationship would improve, it doesn't start well and only gets worse.