The School on Heart's Content Road

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Carolyn Chute, a passionate voice of the underclass, returns to Egypt, Maine, offering a politically charged portrait of lives on society's margins. The story centers on Mickey Gammon, a fifteen-year-old dropout evicted by his half-brother. Alone, he discovers the secretive Settlement, led by a figure known as "The Prophet." This rural cooperative focuses on alternative energy and local goods but is demonized by the media as a compound of sin, leaving its true nature misunderstood by outsiders. At the Settlement, Mickey meets six-year-old Jane, a clever girl of mixed race whose mother is imprisoned on dubious drug charges. Dubbed "Secret Agent Jane," she roams the Settlement in heart-shaped sunglasses, believing her childish schemes will reunite her with her mother. As Mickey and Jane navigate their complex surrogate family, they witness growing unrest within the Settlement, culminating in a shocking climax. This work is a vehement and poetic exploration of family, culture, and authority in a diverse nation, serving as an urgent plea from those marginalized yet unyielding in their voices.