Summary

At the outset of Caul Baby, in Chapter 1, Laila Danville was pregnant. She had multiple miscarriages in the past and was afraid that she would not be able to carry her pregnancy to term. Despite her misgivings, she began to believe that “this child was different because it was growing and changing her from the inside out, persevering from the first trimester and moving past the middle of the second” (5). Laila had never put stock in the folklore about the Melancon family and caul, but she could not keep herself from wondering if the caul would protect her pregnancy. After service one Sunday, Laila’s friend Landon encouraged her to purchase caul from the Melancons and arranged a meeting. Landon promised that he would contact Laila to arrange payment and transfer of the caul, but days passed, and Laila did not receive...