This is the life story of Charlotte Anne Gurganus, a down east North Carolina girl who grew up in the generation before working people learned that they were poor. Charlotte Anne had aspirations and followed the life path that seemed to show the most promise. Then tragedy came, and Charlotte Anne adjusted her life to what seemed honorable and sustainable, all the while growing inside in subtle ways. Then another change altered that comfortable path. The last change was her reward. This is a beautifully told story of perseverance. The characters are memorable, some good, some bad, but real life characters like people you already know. This is Elizabeth Silance Ballard's finest work E. B. Alston, Author of The Kingdom of America and Time Traveler