It's 1951 and Wallace Johnson and his brother have a hard life with their father, who is hard on their body. The small town of Martinsville, Arkansas is full of residents knowing the worst of each other. Wallace is a junior and his brother, Landis, a senior, who is looking forward to taking advantage of his sports scholarship to continue college.

Wallace only wants to leave the country behind to pursue a career as a writer. Attempting to work at raising enough money to do just that, he hasn't considered it will all turn upside down as he deals with an alcoholic father, a crooked sheriff, and forced to fight off other guys intent on causing him and Landis harm. Learning to build himself up and take physical fitness serious through boxing, Wallace will not be caught as the underdog once again. If not for the brother who loves him, Wallace might not survive the trials ahead. Finding his first love in Mary Harper and experiencing her "place where the moon shines brightest", he finds solace and tenderness. As their lives separate for a few years, Wallace now has to make a decision: leave the country life to pursue his dreams or grab the love of a lifetime.

I have never had the pleasure of reading any works by Kevin Crank, but have to say I am thoroughly impressed with his ability to turn out a novel so emotional and real it will make the reader's heart cry for this boy and his family. WHERE THE MOON SHINES BRIGHTEST is written with so much feeling and insight into a poor family's life it became more real with each page I read. I could not put this book down. Kevin Crank is an extremely gifted writer, leaving me with much to ponder for a very long time to come. I highly recommend WHERE THE MOON SHINES BRIGHTEST to anyone who desires a deeply emotional, fulfilling, and romantic story of real life.