Calvin and the Great Tensas River Bottom, Ronnie Wells

I just completed this novel.  It is written by Ronnie Wells who is a naturalist and wildlife artist.  He is known nationally as a wildlife artist both painter and sculptor.  One of his sculptures stands in front of the Headquarters of Ducks Unlimited in Memphis, Tennessee.  I meet Mr. Wells and his wife recently at Brays Island Plantation in South Carolina where I had an opportunity to admire his work.  He had copies of his novel with him and I picked one up as it looked like a good story.  The novel’s main charter is Calvin who is an orphaned eleven-year-old who runs away to live in the Great Tensas River Bottom with a larger-than-life 140-pound Catahoula Cur/Great Dane mix.  The book is nicely illustrated with drawings Mr. Wells did himself.  I found it a delightful story that reminded me a little bit of Huckleberry Finn and Ruark’s Old Man and the Boy.  It is an enjoyable and nice read, if you are a fan of Southern Literature I believe you may enjoy it.