The Chicken Thieves of Watertown

A multigenerational historical novel recounting the true story of Sam Rajkovic, a Croatian immigrant who in 1915 steals chickens to feed his impoverished family and is arrested by the Rock Island County Sheriff's Department. Shot while attempting to escape custody, Sam dies the following day. Days later his widow gives birth to their son, Dominilo, who becomes a ward of the court after the county denies his mother's application for assistance — and who lives a long life marked by a longing to discover his true origins.