In a small town, a tender tale of longing

Francis Pinkham is the same age as Robert but possesses a completely different view of life. Francis is the youngest of 10 children and the only boy. His father had wanted a boy more than anything, but by the time Francis finally arrived, the loutish Mr. Pinkham decided he no longer needed a son. He'd already played baseball and taught woodworking with his nine daughters. Francis spends most of his young life tormented by his thuggish older sisters. The leader-of-the-pack eldest daughter is cruel enough to scare a Dickens street villain into submission.

Bullied at home, Francis becomes a bully at school. This is one of many places in ''The Greatest Man in Cedar Hole" where Doyon showcases her understanding of how communities, especially school communities, are social ecosystems. Francis starts his public school career earnestly wanting to do a good job, but he is overwhelmed by the emotional wasteland at home and by the stark fact that in his small school, Robert has taken the role of good student. Francis decides that the role of bad student is open and ready for him. Yet throughout school and afterward he yearns to be a success, to show the town that he's more than just another no-count rowdy Pinkham.

The only things that actually thrive in Cedar Hole are Robert and the lawns. In the damp valley climate, grass needs cutting at least twice a week. Rain and water and mundane tasks become key story elements in surprising ways.

The annual train festival is the biggest event in town. In true Cedar Hole fashion, the festival does not have any trains; those ceased stopping in town years before Francis and Robert were born. But the festival does have the much anticipated, highly competitive ''Lawn Rodeo" -- a complex lawn-mowing contest set in a huge field.