Summary

Pages 40 - 78

This section opens with Evelyn Couch sitting in her sewing room eating ice cream, wondering how her life slipped away from her. She feels unsatisfied in every aspect of her life, from her marriage, to her social life, to her physical appearance. She remembers how life seemed so simple in high school: there were good girls and bad girls, and she always wanted to be a good girl, but now her life seems so boring, and she always seems unhappy.

Shortly after, Evelyn visits Mrs. Threadgoode at Rose Terrace Nursing Home and brings her a snack from home. Mrs. Threadgoode tells her about Sipsey, the colored woman who cooked at Whistle Stop Café. She had been working for the Threadgoode family for as long as she could remember, and was the best cook in town. Sipsey hadn’t been able to...