A. E Hotchner

King of the hill: Set in St. Louis during the Depression, it follows the daily struggles of a resourceful and imaginative adolescent who, after his tubercular mother is sent to a sanatorium, must survive on his own in a run-down hotel during his salesman father's long business trips. Underneath: A recovering gambling addict attempts to reconcile with his family and friends but finds trouble and temptation when caught between feelings for his ex-wife...