First published 1995
In these interconnected tales set across the American South, families face moments that will reshape their understanding of themselves and their world. The Depression and war years bring unexpected choices to doorsteps in Memphis and Nashville. A young woman disappears into the old growth forest that borders the city, leaving her beau to question everything he thought he knew about propriety and desire. Parents watch their children make decisions that will carry them away from the traditions that once seemed permanent. Neighbors discover that the people they have known for decades harbor secrets that challenge the social order they have all agreed to maintain. Each story captures a single pivotal day or evening when characters must choose between the safety of convention and the uncertainty of authentic living. Taylor illuminates how external pressures strip away pretense to reveal the complicated hearts of people caught between old ways and new possibilities.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secrets
Setting: Memphis, Nashville
Period: The Depression, World War II
448 pages · Hardcover · Modern Library