All the Kind Strangers

Plot summary

Jimmy Wheeler, a photojournalist cruising through rural America with folk country music playing, sees a young boy named Gilbert struggling under a heavy load of groceries. Feeling sorry for him, Jimmy offers a ride, and the trip quickly takes on a dark, uneasy tone. Gilbert directs him along a strange route that includes crossing a river and veering far from any main road, leading to a remote home guarded by aggressive dogs. Inside, Jimmy meets a group of children with blank, emotionless faces. Most barely speak; one girl, Martha, is mute. Another, called Baby, acts like an infant and can hardly communicate. The kids claim their parents will be back soon, but instead, a commanding older boy named Peter appears. He is strict, religious, and acts like the head of the household, though he seems to admire Jimmy. Eventually, an adult woman named Carol is found living there, introduced as the children’s Mama. She acts scatterbrained and oblivious, but when Peter isn’t looking, she spells out “HELP” in a pile of white flour on the counter for Jimmy to see. Peter later confesses to Jimmy and Carol that the children’s father was a violent bootlegger who died after falling drunk off the shack’s roof, and their mother died giving birth to Baby years ago. Peter demands that Jimmy and Carol stay and become the new parents. They can try to leave, he says, but previous adults lured to the shack who attempted escape have all vanished without a trace. The property is fenced in by vicious dogs, Peter carries a gun, and the isolation makes fleeing nearly impossible. That night, as the children sing Christian hymns, Jimmy and Carol whisper about escaping. Jimmy notices Martha eavesdropping on every word. Carol explains that Martha can’t sing, but the girl has a crush on Jimmy and wants him to stay. Later, a strange older teen named John plays a cruel trick by placing Gilbert’s pet rattlesnake in Jimmy’s bed. Peter shoots the snake dead, and Gilbert sobs over the loss.