The Tempering

by Charles Neville Buck

"The Tempering" by Charles Neville Buck is a novel written in the early 20th century. Set against the backdrop of the rugged Appalachian mountains, the story revolves around Boone Wellver, a young boy grappling with feelings of discontent and longing for adventure, and Victor McCalloway, an enigmatic stranger whose presence stirs Boone's imagination. The book explores themes of conflict, family loyalties, and the struggle between tradition and change within a society marked by deep-seated feuds. At the start of the story, Boone sits on a fence lamenting the monotony of his life in his isolated mountain community, surrounded by remnants of pioneer life. His world changes with the arrival of McCalloway, a well-traveled stranger with an air of romance, who inadvertently draws Boone into a complex web of family feuds as the local politics heat up. The narrative foreshadows the tensions between different families in the area, particularly the Gregories and the Carrs, as Boone witnesses the emotional weight of his relatives’ past and the simmering animosities that threaten to ignite. As the plot unfolds, Boone's yearning for a life beyond his mundane existence collides with the realities of his heritage and the violent inheritances of his kin.