"Thirty years old and recently divorced, Viola Goode comes back to her home state with her young son determined to survive during the depths of the Depression. Unable to earn, borrow, or beg enough money to support herself and her child, Liddell uses her family connections to secure a teaching position in Cambridge, Alabama. Even though an older sister's status within the community helps her land the job, Liddell is warned that she must be very careful as she navigates the tricky social terrain of small town life, particularly when it comes to men." "Liddell narrates the obstacles she faces as a single mother in the 1930s Deep South with self-deprecating humor and a confessional tone that reveal her unapologetic intelligence and ambition. Despite all the restrictions on her behavior and the crushing reality that she has become "the biggest nuisance in the family," Liddell cheerfully and successfully builds a new life of respectability and hope."--BOOK JACKET.