Part 1, 1952: April 1, 1952-May 19, 1952 Summary

This novel is written as though it were the diary of a young girl, Daisy Fay Harper. The novel chronicles the most important events in Daisy's life from the time she was eleven until she is eighteen and preparing to leave Mississippi for the first time.

April 1, 1952. Daisy Fay has just turned eleven and Grandma Pettibone gave her a typewriter so she can become something better than her parents. Daisy uses the typewriter to write a diary, chronicling the important moments in her life. In this first entry, Daisy talks about her father, a war veteran whose friend, Jimmy Snow, offers him a chance to become half owner in a malt shop. Mr. Harper met Jimmy Snow while they were both in the military during the war. Mr. Harper was not a good soldier, however, and was often disciplined...