Swamp Story: a Novel : A Novel

Contents Cover Title Page Dedication Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author Copyright Guide Cover Start of Content Title Page Dedication Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author Copyright IV V VII VIII IX X 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 
 
 Swamp Story
 A Novel
 Dave Barry
 
 
 Also by Dave Barry
 NONFICTION
 Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog
 Best. State. Ever.
 Live Right and Find Happiness (Although Beer Is Much Faster)
 You Can Date Boys When You’re Forty
 I’ll Mature When I’m Dead
 Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far)
 Dave Barry’s Money Secrets
 Boogers Are My Beat
 Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway
 Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting Down
 Dave Barry Turns 50
 Dave Barry Is from Mars and Venus
 Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs
 Dave Barry in Cyberspace
 Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys
 Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up
 Dave Barry Does Japan
 Dave Barry’s Only Travel Guide You’ll Ever Need
 Dave Barry Talks Back
 Dave Barry Turns 40
 Dave Barry Slept Here
 Dave Barry’s Greatest Hits
 Homes and Other Black Holes
 Dave Barry’s Guide to Marriage and/or Sex
 Claw Your Way to the Top
 Dave Barry’s Bad Habits
 Stay Fit and Healthy Until You’re Dead
 Babies and Other Hazards of Sex
 The Taming of the Screw
 FICTION
 The Worst Night Ever
 The Worst Class Trip Ever
 Insane City
 Lunatics (with Alan Zweibel)
 The Bridge to Never Land (with Ridley Pearson)
 Peter and the Sword of Mercy (with Ridley Pearson)
 Science Fair (with Ridley Pearson)
 Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (with Ridley Pearson)
 Cave of the Dark Wind (with Ridley Pearson)
 The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog
 Escape from the Carnivale (with Ridley Pearson)
 Peter and the Shadow Thieves (with Ridley Pearson)
 Peter and the Starcatchers (with Ridley Pearson)
 Tricky Business
 Big 
 
 
 
 
 Simon & Schuster
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 Copyright © 2023 by Dave Barry
 All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Simon & Schuster Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
 First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition May 2023
 SIMON & SCHUSTER and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
 For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].
 The Simon & 
 This book is dedicated to the state of Florida, which has its flaws, but which is never, ever boring.
 
 
 Chapter 1
 “Slater!” Jesse yelled. “Get out here! There’s a snake!”
 Jesse threw down her book and snatched Willa off the beach towel where she’d been dozing. The snake was maybe twenty-five feet away. It had slid silently around the side of the cabin. It looked huge to Jesse, its long, thick body covered with brown blotches, its triangular head an arrow pointing at her and her baby. Jesse knew it was a python. She’d seen pythons