The Light in Dorky Walker

A flooding Mississippi River
takes a teenage orphan boy to the
edge of death. Saved by a smalltown
preacher, he learns about
friendship, work, responsibility,
and the Bible. Given an unusual
name at birth, DORKY WALKER
yearns to have a father, someone
to call "Dad," and is doing his best
to help and please the preacher,
but is defensive and suspicious of
those he believes will make fun of
his name.
He has become reliant upon
his "Light" that helps lead and direct
him. The Light shines in the
darkness of his closed eyes, blinking
off and on to answer Dorky's
questions. It is God within him, the
Holy Spirit. He rejects it when he
thinks it has let him down by giving
injurious counsel, causing the
preacher's old church to crumble
and slide into the swamp. In anger
and frustration, he runs away
from the preacher's home.
Drugged and sold to an angry
and abusive riverboat captain,
Dorky works hard to do his best.
For three years, his life on the river
and his relationship with the captain
improve--so much that Dorky
begins to think of him as a father.
But then the captain dies, the boat
is wrecked, and his life changes
forever.