The movie "The Runaway" (2000) is based on a novel written by Terry Kay in 1997.

"Tom and Son Jesus spend their days dreaming, fishing, and trying to escape work. But their fun comes to an abrupt halt when they discover a human bone, which later turns out to be part of the skeletal remains of Son Jesus' long-missong father. As Sheriff Frank Rucker, a World War II hero, begins an investigation into the remains, he unmasks the racially motivated killer known only as Pegleg. The sheriff's findings divide the people of Overton County, forcing a surprising conclusion -- or beginning -- of justice.

Set in the 1940s and using the relationship of two boys -- one black and one white -- as a springboard for the beginnings of desegregation in the South, The Runaway examines the joys, sorrows, conflicts, and racial disharmony of their historically biased environment.

Terry Kay is the author of bestsellers Shadow Song and To Dance with the White Dog. A former film critic and college professor, he has also written for magazines, newspapers, anthologies, and television -- winning a Southern Regional Emmy. He lives in Athens, Georgia."