Most of the major characters in The Road to Memphis have appeared in Taylor's earlier novels, but they are now seven or eight years older. Taylor is generally consistent with earlier depictions of them, but they must now face new challenges that are associated with the transition to adulthood. The narrator of the novel, Cassie Logan, has always been feisty and willing to stand up against oppression. As a seventeenyear-old who is contemplating college, she resists attempts to transform her into a lady, still glorying in the chance to go coon hunting with her male friends. At the same time, however, she is determined to obtain an education and is convinced that she is safe from any romance that might steer her away from her goal.

Like all of the other major characters, Cassie is changed by the late-night flight to Memphis. As in earlier books...