Ajax And Elbow Grease — David Estes

John Willingham comes home from the war, marries his high school sweetheart, Holly. By John's jealous mother, Clara, Holly is forced to leave. John meets and gets cozy with a former prostitute, Josie Cramer. Clara, hellbent to rescue her son from the clutches of "that evil woman," pays Josie a visit, warns her to "stay away from my son." John finds Josie's naked body on her bedroom floor, learns of Clara's visit, thinks she killed Josie. To protect Clara, John turns himself in. Set in the heartland of America, AJAX AND ELBOW GREASE is a work of fiction that portrays the conflict between a man and his mother, who learns that her son no longer belongs to only her.