"Just when do men that have different blood in them stop hating one another?"

Pregnant teenager Lena Grove hitches a ride to Jefferson, Mississippi, in search of the father of her unborn child. She encounters the unassuming Byron Bunch, who works at the same planing mill as her lover Lucas, and enlists his help to find the missing man. Meanwhile, Lucas has turned to bootlegging with an outcast named Joe Christmas, a man emotionally torn apart by his mixed-race ancestry. Murder and mayhem ensue as Lucas and Joe run from the law, leaving destruction in their wake.

Set in the American South during the era of Prohibition and segregation, Light in August explores the struggle between an individual's self-perception and how he is viewed by society. Racial tensions and the damaging effects of loneliness and isolation are particularly poignant in today's troubled times.

Kobo Editions offers this fully-accessible version of the original text for your enjoyment.