"Lives of Girls and Women" Summary

In "Lives of Girls and Women," Del is at the beginning of a sexual awakening. She and Naomi are in high school at this point in the story, and by Del's admission they hold daily discussions about sex. The girls find a book in Naomi's mother's old hope chest, "under her moth-balled best blankets." The information contained within this book is clinical, but for the girls it is their only source of information on the topic. They are, as of now, still virgins.

The audience is introduced in this chapter to Art Chamberlain, the news anchor on the local radio station. Rumored to be having an affair with Fern, Art spends a good deal of time at Del's house in Jubilee. He regales them with stories of his travels and his tour of...