Chapter 1 Summary

Taft by Ann Patchett tells the story of two Tennessee fathers: John Nickel and Levon Taft. These fathers are the head of households that are broken by pride, betrayal, and unspoken fears and hopes. The novel shows that beyond race and economic status, all families face the same challenges.

The novel begins with John Nickel working on a winter afternoon in his Memphis bar, Muddy's. Fay Taft, a young white girl from rural Tennessee, walks in and asks for a job. Cyndi, John's main waitress, is immediately dismayed, and John thinks that Fay looks young. Fay insists she is twenty, and John eventually tells her to return tomorrow around happy hour to learn the ropes. Fay reminds him of his former lover Marion, though Marion is black. Besides, he needs the help. The only other server he has Wallace, his weekend bouncer.

John...