1959 Memphis

The novel takes place in the summer of 1959. At this time the Civil Rights Movement was still in its infancy. For this reason, Mam still has to sit in the back of the bus unless accompanied by Little Man and could only get into the zoo on Wednesday afternoons as long as Little Man was with her. It was also a time period when it was common for most middle class households to have black maids to care for their children while the parents sat in back rooms worrying about what would happen when the schools became integrated. It is with all this as the backdrop that Little Man learns to deal with his stutter and witnesses the bravery of the adults around him, most notably Mam, his family’s maid.

Vollmer Home

Little Man leaves in a two-story house with an apartment over the garage where Mam...