Summary

In Part I, Chapter 1, “Joan, 1995,” Joan arrived at the family house in Memphis, Tennessee with her mother Miriam and sister Mya. The house had been built by her late grandfather, Myron. Though she had not been there since she was three, the house unsettled Joan. When Auntie August opened the door, Joan was surprised by her beauty.

While August and Miriam talked in the kitchen, August’s son Derek entered. “Seeing Derek now” reminded Joan of Miriam’s story about the deer they had seen (9). Overcome by fear, she urinated in her pants. Suddenly she remembered the day Derek had held her down and raped her. Mya seemed unfazed as Miriam and August stood between Joan and Derek.

In Chapter 2, “Miriam, 1995,” on the drive to Memphis, Miriam’s car broke down. Although anxious, she was thankful when a white man helped...