Book dossier

Sun-up

by Lula Vollmer

Ma Cagle, a mountain woman of the Carolinas, has lost both her father and her husband to lawmen and, firmly believing in "an eye for an eye," waits for her son Rufe to reach maturity so he can exact revenge. But the World War breaks out and Rufe goes to fight in France. He is reported to be killed in action, and Ma's only comfort is a young stranger, who has deserted from a nearby training camp. Only later does she discover that the youth is the son of the man who killed her husband. Rufe, it turns out, has not been killed, but he returns home a changed man. He no longer believes in killing for revenge, and much to Ma's disgust, he refuses to shoot the stranger and lets him go free. But Rufe's ideals are put to the test when his sweetheart, Emmy Todd, is raped by Sheriff Weeks. He is tempted to revert to the ways of the hills, but he overcomes his baser emotions and instead marches the sheriff off to jail. --www.fandango.com (description based on film of the play).