Darkness Follows is a novel about a young man trying to come to terms with the physical, sexual and emotional abuse suffered at the hands of his father, at a time, in the late 1800’s, when there were no government agencies protecting children against parental maltreatment. John Bayley (‘Bay’), after surviving 14 years of hell, leaves home with his younger brother James in tow, seeking sanctuary for them both. James is the one shining beacon in Bay’s personal darkness, and the brothers’ adoration of one another is mutual. After years of struggle, and hard toil on various cattle ranches, the boys arrive at the Circle C Ranch in Kane, Wyoming, owned by George Carlson, where they finally acquire decent lodgings and three square meals a day. Unfortunately, despite the stability of his new environment, Bay is unable to create that same stability within himself.