“Taut, thoughtful, and complex.” —Publishers WeeklySet in 1950s North Carolina, Anna Jean Mayhew’s instant classic coming of age novel, which evokes the writing of Sue Monk Kidd, is a heartwarming, vividly transporting depiction of Southern life in the throes of segregation, what it will mean for a young girl on her way to adulthood—and for the woman who means the world to her…**Includes an updated discussion guide and new letter to readers from Anna Jean Mayhew!On a scorching day in August 1954...