By way of water

the long version

"Struggling to feed their children in an unforgiving California forest, Jake and Dale Colby make personal vows that only make matters worse. Jake will not accept help - from the government or his neighbors. And even when all the logging jobs are gone, Dale won't allow her husband to hunt. She believes her faith will sustain them. Jake believes in nothing.". "But one other member of the family makes a promise to herself. Against the poverty, the cold, and her parents' resentment, seven-year-old Justy vows to hold the family together, even when Jake's violence surfaces again."--BOOK JACKET.