Why did the LaMontaies run? Young Silas' world is transformed when his father is implicated in the arson of the sugar mill in their south Louisiana town. If he didn't do it, why run? What is it they are hiding from when they leave their Cajun home, first upstate, then, when the past catches up to them, to the river bottoms of Kentucky. Wherever they go, they take their heritage and values with them, as well as their secrets. Silas LaMontaie learns his life lessons well as he pursues his muse, the beautiful and enigmatic Jessie May, and later learns to be a musician. Silas LaMontaie is a literary novel of intrigue, wit, and family wisdom full of the colors, sights, and sounds of the south. Ultimately, it is a story of determining one's values and remaining true to those.