The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Allison, Dorothy. Cavedweller. Plume, 1999.

Dorothy Allison’s Cavedweller tells the story of Delia Byrd and her three daughters: Amanda, Dede, and Cissy. Prior to the start of the novel, Delia had lived in the fictional town of Cayro, Georgia and was married to a man named Clint Windsor, with whom she had had Amanda and Dede. Clint was abusive toward Delia, and Delia ran away one night when he almost killed her, leaving Amanda and Dede behind. Delia then met Randall Pritchard, a successful musician from a band called Mud Dog. Delia subsequently moved to California and joined the band. Delia also fell in love with Randall and later had Cissy. By the time the novel begins, Randall and Delia have broken up and the band’s best days are behind them.

The novel opens with Randall’s death in a motorcycle crash. With Randall dead, Delia decides to move herself and Cissy back to Cayro so they can reconnect with Amanda and Dede. Cissy is infuriated by this decision and begins to deeply resent her mother. At the start of the novel Cissy is ten, Dede is 12, and Amanda is 15.

Delia and Cissy drive across the country and settle into Cayro, with assistance from Delia’s old friend M.T. Delia learns that Amanda and Dede now live with Clint’s overbearing religious mother Grandma Windsor. She also learns that Clint is dying of cancer. Many of the citizens of Cayro treat Delia with hostility, and she initially has trouble adjusting. Delia finds a job working at a hair salon called Bee’s Bonnet Beauty Salon, which she eventually winds up managing.

Delia initially attempts to contact her daughters through Grandma Windsor, but she despises Delia and does not allow her to do so. Delia decides to work out a deal with Clint: she and Cissy will move into his house and Delia will care for him as he dies, and he will help her gain custody of Amanda and Dede. Amanda and Dede move into Clint’s house shortly thereafter, but both girls make it clear that they do not care for Delia. Clint’s condition worsens, and Cissy becomes close to him, spending time with him and reading to him. After some time, Clint dies.

Cissy makes a new friend, a boy named Nolan, who falls in love with Dede. Dede begins driving lessons with Delia, and these lessons help Dede stop resenting her mother. Dede is also able to connect with Cissy after defending her from some bullies at school. However, Amanda still has no interest in connecting with Delia or Cissy. Amanda, who is an extremely devout Christian, attempts to re-connect with Grandma Windsor at church, but Grandma Windsor is cold to her, so Amanda starts attending a new Baptist church, where she meets and falls in love with a boy named Michael Graham.

Michael proposes to Amanda and she eagerly accepts. Dede, Amanda, and Cissy get into a huge fight on the day of the wedding, leading to Cissy refusing to be a bridesmaid and almost missing the ceremony entirely, though she does end up going. Amanda and Michael have two children together, Michael Jr and Gabriel. Delia is overjoyed by grandparenthood. Amanda suffers from gallstones, and the health scare causes her to warm up more to her sisters and mother.

For a birthday gift, Nolan shows Cissy an underground cave in the woods called Paula’s Lost. Cissy is fascinated by the cave and begins to spend an increasing amount of time inside it. Nolan begins to study the clarinet, which he excels at, and begins studying at the local community college. There, he meets Jean and Mim, whom he introduces to Cissy, and the three begin going on caving expeditions together. Dede gets a job working at the local convenience store. Dede’s ex-boyfriend almost shoots her, but Nolan saves her life, and the two begin a relationship. However, Dede sees him kissing another woman and shoots him, severely injuring his leg but not killing him. Nolan quickly forgives her, and Dede does not have to serve a jail sentence. Dede gets pregnant and decides to raise the baby with Nolan, but warns him that she will not marry him, which Nolan accepts.

With Cissy considering moving to California, and with Dede and Nolan considering leaving Cayro, Delia worries that she will be alone again. However, she is comforted by her two grandchildren in Cayro, and decides to begin writing music again.