David is twelve as the events of the summer of 1948 unfold. He tells the story from a first-person perspective. David, sometimes called Davey by his uncle, is the son of Wesley Hayden who serves as sheriff of Mercer County, Montana, at the time of the story. His father's role as sheriff drives a great deal of the story. David's mother is Gail, a woman who plays an important role in David's life and works at the county courthouse.