Summary

In Chapter 1, "Pierson, Illinois, 1979," 14-year-old Becky Farwell rushes to her father Hank's farming equipment shop to meet a buyer. Though she will be late for school, she knows the sale is important. They have been struggling with money. Before the buyer sees the equipment, he gropes Becky. She feels sick for the rest of the day. The next morning she meditates on their financial troubles. She does not want to quit school and "go full time as a waitress" (7). Then she gets an idea. If they drop their showroom, they can "save 14K for the year" (8). She designs a marketing scheme to "keep up wholesale orders for longtime customers" (8).

In the coming months, Becky and Hank implement the plan. Becky becomes central to the recovered business.

In Chapter 2, "Pierson, Illinois, 1981," though Becky always succeeds in school, the only teacher who pushes her is...