First published 1995
Ruth Anne Boatwright carries the weight of being born a bastard in 1950s South Carolina. Her mama Anney tries desperately to get that shameful word removed from her birth certificate, but some marks never fade. When Anney marries Glen Waddell, Ruth Anne hopes for a real father, but Glen brings violence instead of love into their trailer home. The beatings start small and grow worse. Ruth Anne learns to hide bruises and swallow rage while her extended family of tough Boatwright women watch from the sidelines. Her mama must choose between protecting her daughter and keeping her man. Set against the backdrop of mill town poverty, this story follows Ruth Anne as she discovers her own strength amid the wreckage of family loyalty and betrayal.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, abuse, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: South Carolina
Period: 1950s
410 pages · Paperback · InsightOut Books
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence, physical-abuse