Way Back in the Ozarks Book Report Part One Title – Way Back in the Ozarks Author – Howard Hefley# Of Pages – 262 Publisher – Copyright Date – November 1992 Part Two This novel is about a young boy’s life (the author). It starts of f him describing his hometown and how life was back then. The name of his town is Judy. Then it goes start into his life story. He ask his dad if can go hunting with him one early morning in the summer.
He is bout 8 years of age now and is almost old enough to handle a gun. He begged his dad and he ends up in going with his dad and uncle hunting. This is his first time and he has to try to keep up. So he struggles to keep up and he does.
Then later on in the book he is about 10 and wants a dog of his own so he can win money in dog field trials and hunt. He only his two dollars and a hunting pup is bout 15 dollars. So he goes up to uncle Lloyds house cause he hears dogs barking and wants to see what’s going on. Well when he gets their he sees a cur pup (a mix breed dog) and his uncle training blue tick hounds. He ask he uncle bout the cur and his uncle doesn’t want and is going to get rid of it cause its no good to any hunter and the author or monk talks him to selling him the dog for 2 bucks the ending is when monk get a coon (raccoon) for a pet. Big John try’s to find it and try’s to kill several times.
Until one night when he does get it and monk finds out and goes to johns house and hold he at gun point with he the cur dog at monks side. He tells john to turn around and drop his jeans and then monk tell he is dog to bite he butts. If john were to move monk would shoot him. It ends with him talking bout his brother F esser help writing this book. Part Three Chapters 1 and 2 The start of these two chapters goes something like this. Howard Hefley (the author) get his nick name monk.
He gets this from going hunting with he is dad and uncle one night. Monk ran ahead and climbed a tree and when they got there his dad told he to get down and he came down like a monkey so people started to call him monk. Then chapter goes into monk wanting a dog to play with and hut with. He doesn’t have the money to get a blue tick. So he goes to his uncle Lloyds house and sees that he has a cur pup and talk he uncle into selling for two dollars. Chapters 3 and 4 Chapter three is about monk wanting to fishing.
So when monk gets the idea of going to ol ” Hurbort’s pond who doesn’t allow fishing in his pond. So monk takes his dog Danny boy and the hop the fence and stay low in the tall grass to avoid Herbert seeing them. They get there and catch bout two thens Herbert sees them and comes running down the hill. Monk starts to run w/ Danny boy behind him and monk gets caught on the barbwire fence. And monk gets free and starts running home. (Chapter 4) when he gets home he tells his mom part of what happened and she fixes his clothes and his wound leg.
His brother feels so sorry for him that he takes him to the creek to fish. They end up catching a turtle and the brig it home and tie it to the outhouse and ends up almost bite one of his sisters. Chapter 5 and 6 When his mom finds out bout the turtle she tells him to take it back to the creek and come straight back in time for school. So on the way back to the creek he starts to come up to Hurbort’s pond.
Then monk gets and evil idea. Something called sweet revenge. He takes the turtle and puts it in Hurbort’s pond to eat all the fish and after he goes running of to school snickering. After school he ask his dad for the shotgun to go squirrel hunting.
So he gets the gun and as soon as they get to the end of the cemetery Danny boy starts to chase a squirrel and trees it. So monk starts to climb the trunk and falls into the broken tree were a bunch of black ants are. And monk can’t get out. The ants start to nibble at his fee. After an hour ol’ Herbert comes around and helps monk out of the tree. And back to his house.
Chapter 7 and 8 After 2 weeks of recovering from the ant bites monk starts to think of a way to get rid of those ants and the tree. First he thinks of burning it down but that might cause a fire then he remembered that he had left over fire works that he was saving for the fourth of July. So he goes to the tree with the fire works and blows up the tree and kills all the ants. That night he goes and gets his cousin Jr and his dads shot gun to go coon hunting.
Monk decides to bring one of his dads hunting dogs for jr. As the approach the field starts to howl and run and it with Danny boy. The case the dogs down the field. Then both dogs come whimpering back and smelling like skunks monk wants to catch the skunk.
So monk catches the live skunk and JR ask what they are going to do with and monk said that they are going to put it in uncle guy the principal drawer of the desk. So they break into the school and do it next morning they here him scream and the smell of the skunk is everywhere. Chapters 9 and 10 One night when monk was out hunting with his dad they came across a coon’s den. Which the dogs have found then the dogs get the sent of the coon and start after it his dad shot the coon. When they past the den again Danny boy went into it and brought out a baby coon.
Monk instantly grabs the critter from Danny boy and held. Monk asks to keep it and his dad aloud it. Now time came pass (and the coon was name Joe) that Joe grew. Now big john a fur trader saw the coon with monk.
Big john’s greed came on him to kill the coon for fur and sell for money. Time pasted again and Joe came up missing one day. Monk looked all over for Joe. And when monk went to the fur store with his dad he saw Joe’s hide and monk found parts of Joe on the pasture.
Then monk remembers big john that day he was looking at Joe. So monk went snooped around big john’s house and found more parts of Joe. So monk went home and came back w/ his shot gun and Danny boy and wait for john to come. When john came home monk caught him by surprise.
He started to plead innocent and then monk put him at gun point and asked him to turn around and drop his pants and that if he moved that he would be shot. After john did what was ordered to him monk sent Danny boy to tear apart his behind. After that john went to clean up and monk went to buried all of Joe’s parts. Part Four Theme – you can do anything it you try and always stand up for friends.
Plot – monk growing up Setting – took place in the Ozark Mountains Point of view – 3 rd person Conflict – Howard (monk) life growing up Foreshadowing – “IM going to make him the best hunting dog in the town ” Part Five My o pion about this novel is that it is a good book. IM not much of a reader and this is one of the few books that I actually enjoyed. This book is something that I can read over and over again. I guess it is because I wish I could have his life in a way. Growing up in a small town and having a place where no one Is a stranger.
I just think it would be cool. The only down fall about this book is that it uses a lot of slang words not that I care much just for those smart people who don’t accept slang words. I would recommend this book to any one who enjoys adventure. That is all this book is about. That is basically monk’s life on big adventure. This book can breed by a 3 rd grader and up.
There is one most defiantly good thing bout this book it keeps you wanting to turn the next page to keep going. The first time I read this book I read it in one night because I had to know what would happen and even if you already read and know what is going to happen it still makes you want to keep going. So in conclusion I most defiantly recommend this book. Only the people who read it would know how great it is you don’t know less you try.