Set on the Sabine River that divides Texas from Louisiana is the piney woods where an old crippled hound dog named Ranger lives. He was abused and forced to live under the master's house, the underneath. The underneath is a safe haven for Ranger and his only friend the calico cat. In an unfortunate event one of calico cat's kittens, Puck, becomes separated on the wrong side of the river, and calico drowns. Puck experiences many adventures in his quest to keep his promise to his mother and return to the underneath to reunite with his sister Sabine. As the story unfolds, parallel to Puck's journey there is a series of flashbacks told through the mind of Grandmother, the half snake, half human. Through her thoughts magic, shapeshifting and mythical creatures are introduced. Due to a violent storm, she has been released from her burial of a thousand years during which she has been plotting revenge. Love overpowers hate when Grandmother is overwhelmed with Ranger's love for the kittens. She trades revenge for atonement. The true raw feelings of human love, regret and friendship are poetically expressed through Appelt's style of language. A sincere investment in the characters and their well being is felt through every turn of the page.
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