Telling the emotive story of one young man who loses his family during the United States’ worst economic crisis, fictional license and real-world research pull together in a powerful and engaging new book.

Media, PA -- (SBWire) -- 11/12/2012 --Fusing real-world U.S history with compelling fiction, writer Java Davis is delighted to announce the launch of her latest book – “Depression Carpenter.”

The book focuses on Jackson Ferry, a privileged young man who loses his entire family in a sudden and tragic car accident. Left to contend with his inability to grasp being wealthy contrasted with the nation’s spiralling economy, “Jake” sets out on a road trip to change both his own life and the lives of those in need, one carpentry project at a time.

Synopsis
“Jackson Ferry is born into a privileged New York family, losing them in a car accident at the start of the Great Depression. Young and wealthy, he needs to justify his good fortune that contrasts so starkly from most of America. Skilled in carpentry, he drives to the Gulf of Mexico, working on building projects all around the gulf with Chin, his peculiar friend and partner from Florida.

“Where Chin is happy-go-lucky, Jake is thoughtful, always searching for more, using carpentry to strengthen his self-esteem. But together, they are a powerful team.

“In Alabama, after camping in a local cemetery, they find themselves among some fresh recruits for FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Further up the road, the pair is adopted by a Negro community, giving Jake his first real lessons in race relations. Jake and Chin go their separate ways, and Jake veers off to Baton Rouge and reminds himself what it’s like to be wealthy. But he leaves Louisiana after ten weeks to continue his Gulf coast journey.

“When Jake lands in Galveston, Texas, he stays for several years to help rebuild the island as it recovers from massive floods, sponsoring an inter-racial school for the island's orphans.

“Ultimately, Jake learns to accept himself and makes peace with his circumstances.”

As the author explains, her book came following months of diligent research into the Gulf Coast and the Great Depression.

“This book took nine months to write. The research to learn about the Gulf coast states during the Great Depression was fascinating, especially the horrendous history of Galveston, Texas,” explains Davis.

“The years of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl continue to interest me, and I am currently writing more historical fiction about this era.”

Since its launch, the book has garnered a consistent string of rave reviews.

“Speaking from the voices of a variety of people about their faith and survival, the author did a wonderful job transporting me to an era so dear to my heart. ‘Depression Carpenter’ is a well-written, well-researched account of the 1930s that I highly recommend to all historical fiction lovers,” says Alle Wells, reviewing the book on Amazon.

Another reader, Peter Learn, was equally impressed. He commented that, “’Depression Carpenter’ is the novella form at its best. The story grabs you from the first paragraph. There are no wasted words yet there is a beautiful use of language; the language is sparse but each word carries weight. The main character is developed faultlessly.”

“Depression Carpenter,” published by Amazon Digital Services, is available in the following formats:

Amazon ebook: http://amzn.to/NbjFGr

Audible audiobook: http://bit.ly/QZAGnC

More information can be found on the author’s official website: http://dooid.me/javadavis

About Java Davis
Java Davis did her graduate studies in Literary Research and Linguistics. She spent 10 years in the printing, publishing and marketing fields as a typesetter until her early retirement. A short memoir of her typesetting years, “On Becoming a Dinosaur,” is also available on Amazon, as well as two other novels, “Triptych,” and “Cowgirl.”