Toby and Johnny Joe

It's amazing that this book is now out-of-print. I read this book as a 12-year-old, re-read it at age 20, and was surprised that I would still find the matter interesting and relevant. I am now 31, and am searching for a copy since it has long been lost. Branscum is a very talented author; she is able to write in a conversational matter and paint a vivid picture. Her characters are real people with real quirks that beg you to fall in love with them. Toby is an acerbic young bride who talks tough but is actually extremely naive. Her husband is a kind-hearted soul with a truely masculine bent. Together, they make thier life in the Arkansas hills until war threatens to destroy them. Toby, being the sassy-young-thing she will always be, gets her husband back after they both face thier share of loss -- alone. Memorable characters also include the passed-away Granny who "talks" to Toby at the grave site. The new, young local minister is a very minor character (a wasted opportunity; Branscum's only downfall) and acts merely as a distraction to Toby's affections. This story is told in true Arkansas dialect; but realistic and amuzing to read. This book is actually a continuation of other stories about Toby, but I have never read the previous books -- there is no need to. I hope I can get a copy of this book somehow, somewhere. Now I realize why it may be out-of-print: while it was written for the young-adult crowd, it probably takes a mature young-adult reader to appreciate the context, and there are not many pre-teens and teens who qualify. Grown-ups will find the book an easy, but pleasureable read. I'd be interested in learning if Branscum has ever written adult books.