1960s · country setting · strict family · rural life · ensemble cast · authoritarian father · protective mother · responsible brother · smart brother · troublesome brother
The farmhouse holds the last light of a 1960s Friday. Martha Anne moves through the kitchen, her auburn curls catching the low bulb, her pale face and emerald eyes soft with a humming focus. In the front room, Peter sits rigid in his worn chair, his dark gaze sweeping the space with a silent command. Nearby, eight-year-old Gwen Rose adjusts her hair with meticulous care. Toby, fourteen and forever grinning, hides something behind his back. Eleven-year-old Joel watches with a calm, knowing smirk, ready with a quiet jab. Dawson, seventeen and built solid from farm work, leans against the doorjamb, his hardened hands resting easy—ready to step in if the peace breaks. The air smells of woodsmoke and supper, thick with the push and pull of a family bound by rules and rough affection.