Four Funerals in Mamou

When Dewey Augustine is forced to return home from college by his parents, he is bound and determined to prove he can be just as big a screw-up at home as he was in college. After bad decisions land him in the drunk tank at the local jail, Dewey decides it is time to leave town.

After five years of barely getting by on his own, Dewey returns home for the funeral of his great-grandmother. When he does, a chance encounter with a young lady he had met only briefly years before becomes the foundation for a relationship that motivates Dewey to change his no-good ways. It would take time, though.

In need of a new address, Dewey moves to Crystal Beach after his great-grandmother's funeral. With the help of his grandfather, Dewey is able to secure a job mowing grass and doing maintenance on fifteen rent houses. Here, at the beach, Dewey begins to find happiness. That is, until Hurricane Ike washes away all the houses on the peninsula. At this same time, Dewey's great-grandfather passed away.

For the second time in as many years, Dewey returns to his hometown, homeless. After Dew's great-grandfather's funeral, he would like to leave town again, but he has no other options. Reluctantly, Dewey begins to search for work in Beaumont.
Dewey's pitstop in Beaumont is supposed to be temporary, but he rekindles a fleeting friendship with Livvie LeBeau. A lady who had filtered in and out of Dewey's life since he was a pubescent twelve-year-old.

With Livvie back in Dewey's life, the sense of urgency to leave town is gone. That happiness he found at Crystal Beach begins to manifest itself at home in Beaumont. The difference now is that Dewey no longer just wants to be happy. He wants to be a good person, too. However, becoming a good person may not be as easy as he thinks.

Four Funerals in Mamou is a coming-of-age story, told through a series of memories rife with emotion. It is a story of life and loss, but also love and self-reflection. It is a reminder that change is always possible when folks are ready to embrace it.