Ma Richards is Hank's mother. She lives on Painter Mountain and only comes down to visit when Hank truly needs her. Ma Richards is described as small but fierce, armed with harsh retorts and cutting criticism that makes Julie feel worthless in her own home. It seems that all Ma Richard wants to do is make Julie's life miserable. At the end of the novel, before baby Delia dies, Ma and Julie reconcile their relationship through prayer, and admit for the first time that they actually love each other.
