Set in a small mining town in eastern Kentucky and abundant with amusing characters, "The Blistered Cat" beautifully illustrates the universal struggle between the lure of adulthood and the safety of childhood. The first day of his summer job at his father's funeral home, fourteen-year-old Chuck Moretti experiences the tragic death of Johnny Tuttle, a young disabled U.S. Army veteran. Catapulted overnight into adulthood, Chuck's summer is adrenaline-packed as he participates in hair-raising ambulance rides, witnesses the aftermath of a mining accident and a fatal shooting, and faces the sorrows of natural death. "The Blistered Cat" interweaves the true-to-life activities of a funeral home with the mischief and musings of a teenage boy, creating a brilliant coming-of-age story rich with Southern style and adolescent conflict.