Welcome to Zero City Baby (PDF)

Adjusting to the sweltering heat of the Mississippi Delta is the least of Teri's troubles. Dragged there by her mother's ill-advised search for career development, she must now drudge her way through a new school, the constant tension between her parents, and the duplicitous nature of teenagers and adults alike. But then she meets a strange boy at school, Nother Martin, and as their relationship develops she is drawn into a world of moonshine and roadhouses, fortune tellers and grizzled Blues legends. In contrast to her own tangled relationships, she finds comfort in Nother's strong family bonds and his roots in the depthless South. As Teri learns about bad behavior and untimely death, she discovers a better, wiser version of herself. "The mind of a smart teen girl is a universe that has attracted many writers, and David Racine's Teri is one of the best. A tightly woven and gorgeously written report from inside a unique person, by a writer who knows the world and doesn't allow it to lie."--Andrei Codrescu "A complex story line, well-developed characters, evocative descriptions, and quirky humor create an inviting read."-Library Journal "There is much to admire in Racine's treatment of character and setting."-Booklist "Racine's beautiful prose deftly handles these alternate narratives... [Teri's] perceptive voice adds depth and pathos to this modern-day bildungsroman."-Publishers Weekly