Tale of the Tow-Path

Fourteen-year-old Joe Gaston never stole anything. But his father says he did, and in 1890s rural America, a father's word is law. Falsely accused and cast out, Joe flees into a world of canal boats and tow-paths, where mules pull barges through quiet water and the only certainty is the next mile of muddy road. What follows is part adventure, part coming-of-age. Joe finds work, makes allies, and hunts for the truth that could clear his name: the real horse-thief is still out there, living under another man's reputation. Greene, a practicing lawyer, builds toward a courtroom confrontation with the precision of someone who knows how justice works and how easily it can fail. This is historical fiction with real teeth. It captures a vanished America of canals and small towns, where a boy's survival depends on his wits and his willingness to trust strangers. It's for readers who want a good chase, a just ending, and a protagonist worth rooting for.