Chapter 4 Summary

Opal learns 10 things about her mother. Her mother was funny and loved to tell a good joke to make people laugh. She had red hair and freckles, just like Opal. She enjoyed planting things and could make anything grow nearly anywhere. Opal's mama could run fast. The Preacher said he couldn't ever let her get a head start, or he'd never catch her. Opal could run fast, too. Opal's mother couldn't cook, but she loved a good story and could sit and listen to them all day long. Opal's mother knew all of the constellations and could name them, but she didn't like being a preacher's wife. She didn't like the entire congregation judging her on what she was wearing or the things she cooked or how she sang.

As the Preacher talks to Opal, Winn-Dixie sits between them on the couch, his...