Eggleston was a Methodist minister best known for his Hoosier stories about Indiana. This is a classic work in Indiana literature that provides a melodramatic picture of rural life in southern Indiana during the mid-19th century. Eggleston's fiction had a great effect in creating the popular image of Hoosiers-an image not all Indiana residents found accurate. The story is set in rural Indiana and its use of Hoosier dialect adds flavor to the story. The plot is based loosely on the experiences of Eggleston's brother. The main character is a young man hired to be the sole schoolteacher and the experiences he has in a small backwoods Indiana town. This story is an excellent choice for teen readers and adults.