I first heard about this story from the made-for-TV movie which was broadcast when I was very young. As years went by, I read other book by Gaines but had no idea he also wrote this book until I was in college. I was delighted to stumble upon a copy of it and have re-read it 3 times. This particular book I purchased at a book fair - seems Travis High School was selling all their old copies for $.25 each. I have released 4 copies into the wild. I hope you enjoy this timeless classic.