(No LCMS Lutherans were harmed in the making of that novel.)
You should check it out too since it takes place in familiar territory. BTW, all the characters in the novel are based on real characters (including the main character). I did a lot of research on this topic and even ‘Bama Dillard was based directly on a real life person named Arkie Ashby. A big scandal at the time since the folks in Robinson, IL easily knew to whom James Jones was referring in the novel. I don’t think the schoolteacher was any too happy with the novel. Read “Some Came Running” (UNABRIDGED) and find out why.