Chapter 1 Summary

As the book opens, forty-something Janie Crawford comes home to her small Florida town, having left a year and a half earlier with Tea Cake, a man at least ten years her junior. The gossip of those who hang out on Phoeby Watson's porch at dusk speculate that Tea Cake took all Janie's money and ran off with a younger girl. However, they are clearly jealous of pretty Janie, who, with her overalls and long rope of braided hair, carries herself as if she is much younger than she is. Janie passes them up and disappears through the gate of her own house.

Finally, Phoeby gets up and goes to take her a bowl of mulatto rice. On Janie's back porch, Janie tells Phoeby that Tea Cake is gone. She agrees to tell Phoeby the whole story, saying Phoeby can tell the others...