When Ray Johnson's brother Billy is found murdered in a ditch, Ray is overcome with sorrow and a strange sense of relief. In a quiet Michigan town with no secrets, Billy's death unleashes some ugly memories - events that the working-class Johnson family has struggled for years to forget. Ray watches closely as the sheriff persues the killer, and soon he is drawn reluctantly back to a violent and chaotic family history, which he reveals in a voice that is sometimes funny, often shocking, but always unsparingly honest. In the span of four unforgettable days Ray Johnson propels us through past and present, desolation and joy, as he is forced to reassess a life of stark abuse and remarkable love.
