Who is Catherine?

Catherine Grace Cline is telling this story in retrospect, recalling her childhood in small town Ringgold, Georgia. She lost her mother at age six and is raised by her fiery preacher father with her younger sister Martha Ann. For as long as Catherine Grace can remember she is focused on leaving Ringgold and moving to Atlanta. The attitudes and ideas of Ringgold are narrow, and Catherine feels that moving to Atlanta is her dream. Much of her childhood is concerned with being brave and having courage to follow your dreams; however, when she is a young adult Catherine discovers that her life in Atlanta comes with a price. As a character, Catherine basically swims upstream, and while her ultimate destiny might be back in Ringgold, her life is enriched by her ability to consider different perspectives.