Vivid,harrowingyetultimatelyhopeful,TheWorldMadeStraightisRonRash’ssubtlestexplorationyetofthepainfulconflictbetweenthebondsofhomeandthedesireforindependence.NOWAMAJORMOTIONPICTURESTARRINGNOAHWYLE,JEREMYIRVINE,MINKAKELLY,ADELAIDECLEMENS,STEVEEARLE,ANDHALEYJOELOSMENT.“ONEOFTHEMAJORWRITERSOFOURTIME.“--THEATLANTAJOURNAL-CONSTITUTIONTravisSheltonisseventeenthesummerhewandersintothewoodsontoprivatepropertyoutsidehisNorthCarolinahometown,discoversagroveofmarijuanalargeenoughtomakehimsomeseriousmoney,andstepsintothejawsofabeartrap.Afterhoursofpassinginandoutofconsciousness,TravisisdiscoveredbyCarltonToomey,thewiseandviciousfarmerwhosetthetraptoprotecthisplants,andTravis’sconfrontationwiththesubtleevilswithinhisruralworldhasbegun.Beforelong,Travishasmovedoutofhisparents’hometolivewithLeonardShuler,aone-timeschoolteacherwholosthisjobandcustodyofhisdaughteryearsago,whenhewasframedbyavindictivestudent.NowLeonardliveswithhisdogsandhissometimegirlfriendinarun-downtraileroutsidetown,dealsafewdrugs,andstudiesjournalsfromtheCivilWar.Travisbecomeshisstudent,ofsorts,andthefateofthesetwooutsidersbecomesincreasinglyentwinedasthecommunity’sterriblepastandcorruptpresentbeardownoneachofthemfromeverydirection,leadingtoaviolentreckoning--notonlywithToomey,butwiththelegacyoftheCivilWarmassacrethat,evenafteracentury,continuestodivideanAppalachiancommunity.
