Set against the backdrop of rural Oregon in 1895, the narrative explores the shocking parricide committed by 18-year-old Loyd Montgomery, who murdered his parents and a neighbor. The book situates this crime within the agrarian crisis and the decline of the pioneer generation, examining its repercussions on the community. It addresses broader themes such as boyhood, the struggles of farmers amid globalization, and the societal challenges faced in late 19th-century America, while also critiquing how local narratives shaped the region's historical identity.
