The Boys in the Brazos River Bottom

Mumford Texas the summer of 69. Matt Ruggirello believes he is doomed to enter the farming life just like everyone else in his family. Josh his middle brother wants nothing more than Papas approval. While little brother Tommy observes all the happenings in and around the Ruggirello family home of Three Pecans a nickname christened by the three brothers. Yet Matt receives news that could take him away from the cotton fields and into the big city. The obstacle in the way is Papa whose suspicions make him fearful of change in the family. Along the way the brothers experience rivalries car crashes a torrential storm familial stories of the past the music of KTSA 550 San Antonio and the dinner table discussions that define the Italian-American household. Inspired by stories his family has told over the years Peter L. Scamardo II provides a window into the lives of the Central Texas farming communities and a different perspective on the Italian-American experience.