Brent Davis has worked in television in Georgia, Alabama and Ohio. He is also an avid bluegrass banjo player, and an author of fiction.

His second book, Raising Kane, released in 2006, tells the story of Eddie Kane, a 12 year old Alabama banjo picker who is learning both about the professional music world, and the social upheavals of the 1960s in the southern US.

The tension in the story comes from Eddie’s mom, who worries that her young son will turn out like his uncles who have a touring bluegrass band, and the various faces of the civil rights movement he encounters on the road. In the story, Eddie’s dad loses his job just when his uncles need a banjo picker, and Eddie goes out with them to help support the family.

Davis says that he wrote the book primarily for middle school boys, and middle-aged men.

“I think it’s possible for women of all ages to read this book and enjoy it. But I felt that many young adult novels don’t engage boys in middle school, and I wanted to write a book that would. I also wanted that same book to be of interest to a middle-aged man who is curious about traditional music, The South, and modern history.”

Raising Kane is published by Livingston Press, and is available though Amazon.com.

The author has created a web site to help promote the book, which also includes a free study guide for teachers who may want to include it in their curriculum.