"The Ground Beneath Her Hands" Summary

Ada writes on her porch about mutual duty to be frank and candid, and then she throws the page away. She surveys her failed kitchen garden and cornfields. Since her father's funeral, Ada has done almost nothing around the farm because she has not a clue what to do. She eats little, because cookery is beyond her. The chickens have gone wild, so finding eggs requires searching. Crawling into the hollow of a large boxwood by the steps, Ada feels safe as a child playing under sheets; even visiting church ladies can be avoided here. Ada has grown up in Charleston and been educated in art, language, music, and literature, but nothing that can help her eke a living out of 300 acres. Father Monroe had sheltered her and hired workers during the 6 years...