The Wettest County in the World
Sep 1, 2008
The Wettest County in the World: A Novel Based on a True Story
Author: Matt Bondurant
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Pub. Date: October 14, 2008
ISBN-13: 9781416561392
1930s. Prohibition. Moonshiners. Franklin County, Virginia.
This is the background of The Wettest County in the World. It follows the life of Forrest Bondurant, a poor boy from a struggling family who decided that, regardless of the consequences, he would not just survive, but thrive in those poverty stricken times. He took his brother, Jack along for this fast and furious ride through life.
Matt Bondurant is descended from Jack, and he has turned a family history into a gripping novel.
I will say right off that this is a violent story. It leaves no areas vague, fuzzy or to your imagination. Moonshiners basically ran their routes and protected their stills like the Appalachian mob. They meant business and weren't shy on showing that fact off.
This book not only centers around Forrest and Jack, but also around Sherwood Anderson, a reporter who goes into the center of Franklin County to uncover a story and finds himself surrounded by violence and terminally injured men, who though dying, are still afraid to talk.
Forrest himself endures incredible acts of violence and by the end of the book you really can't believe he lived as long as he did.
This is a truly fascinating, near first hand account of those times during our nation's lockdown on liquor. The fact that it centers around one family as a story and is not just a historical account based on dry facts and figures makes it an enjoyable read.
A very good book, but beware, not for the faint of heart in parts.
