The Tale of the Swamp Rat was published in 2003. In 2016, it was difficult to read it without seeing one character, the Prophet Bubba, as representing Donald Trump. A narcissistic buffoon that the gullible people follow blindly.
Aside from that, this is the tale of Ossie the swamp rat, orphaned at a young age when a snake ate the rest of his family. But he is quickly adopted by Uncle Will, the oldest alligator in the swamp, and the wisest of the wise. Uncle Will slowly teaches Ossie what he will need to know to survive. Lives are complicated by Mr. Took, the snake, and Prophet Bubba, who are the two very different villains of the tale.
I found it moving, sweet, and occasionally profound. ( )