Jake lives with his wife, Sally, and three small kids in East Texas during the Great Depression. They are poor white trash, but Jake does whatever it takes to provide for his family. They eat squirrels, rabbits, and lots of cornbread. The kids walk three miles to school where they must contend with the stuck-up kids who are better off than they are. Sally sits around reading detective and romance magazines. The two boys, Clarence and Jimmy, are typical boys--getting into fights, shooting out windows, and other mischief. Jake's 10 year-old daughter, Mildred, is a very intelligent girl who...