Summary

Chapter 1 – It is July, 1963 in Cayuga Springs, Mississippi. Starla Jane Claudelle’s grandmother, Mamie, is very strict. She is quick to hit. Starla’s father always reminds Starla to choose her words carefully and to be a lady. He spends most of his time working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Starla’s mother, Lucina (“Lulu”), has gone to Nashville to become a famous singer. On July 3, Starla vows to be as good as possible so she won’t get grounded and have to miss fireworks the next day.

Over breakfast, Mamie insists on calling Starla by her middle name, because “Starla” sounds like something out of a trailer park. Starla does her best to bite her tongue and says that her father loves her name. This causes Grandma to complain about Lulu, saying that Starla’s father let his wife...