The Weight of a Second

Twelve-year-old Luke Daniels knows how to hide a bruise. His best friend, Cory Rupert, knows how to make him laugh.

In the Kentucky mountains, Luke and Cory can make an adventure out of almost anything, then argue about whose idea it was. Luke wishes those afternoons would last a little longer. Then he glimpses an unfamiliar boy on the river rocks, and the hills he knows so well begin to feel different.

When escaped prisoners take his stepfather hostage, Luke wants Frank brought home alive, even though he’s the man Luke fears most. As floodwater rises and roads close, Luke reaches out to a frightened child and puts himself directly in danger.

Set in Appalachia in 1994, The Weight of a Second is a coming-of-age novel about fierce friendship, stubborn humor, and a boy learning whom he can trust.

Includes one chapter-marked M4B audiobook download (about 8 hours and 25 minutes). Narrated by Wesley, an ElevenLabs digital voice. The author’s note and tribute use a digital recreation of Troy E. Kirk’s voice.