At age eleven, James "Bubba" Beck is ready to die. The cold steel barrel of a .357 revolver tastes metallic in his mouth-all he has to do is pull the trigger. Fortunately a visiting neighbor interrupts him.

Bubba's father lies at the heart of the young boy's despair. Beneath a mask of good times and community service, Jimmy Beck is a volatile mix of fundamentalist fanaticism and rage, abusing his son both mentally and physically.

The discovery of his son's suicide attempt gives Jimmy an epiphany-realizing his acts mirror the violence he endured at the hands of his own parents. Jimmy...