William Humphrey’s absorbing first novel, Home from the Hill, originally published in 1958, begins with the funeral of “Miz Hannah” Hunnicutt in her east Texas hometown, a dozen years after her commitment to a Dallas asylum. Her burial between the tombs of her husband and her son is the final episode of a local legend that unfolds within this powerful tale.

The tragic events surrounding the murder of Hannah’s authoritative and charismatic husband, Captain Wade, and the subsequent attempt at revenge by their son, Theron, are vividly recounted. As a child, Theron was intensely affected by the volatile relationship between his brooding mother and his wayward father. Theron’s emulation of his father’s impetuous, self-destructive behavior unnerves his mother while his involvement with pretty Libby Halstead and her incensed father propels this devastating saga to its shattering, inevitable conclusion.