"Elnora walked by instinct, for her eyes were blinded with tears. She left the road where it turned south, at the corner of the Limberlost, climbed a snake fence and entered a path worn by her own feet. Dodging under willow and scrub oak branches she came at last to the faint outline of an old trail made in the days when the precious timber of the swamp was guarded by armed men. This path she followed until she reached a thick clump of bushes. From...

Sixth-grader Sugar and her mother lose their beloved house and experience the harsh world of homelessness.

A young girl describes activities that her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother all did for their daughters, and that she does for her doll.

A mother and her young daughter reflect on the daughter's growing up, including her infancy, potty training, first words, and starting school, noting how nothing has been what the mother expected.

For a little girl on a rainy day, the best place to be is with Mama.

Katie helps her mom with the chores, and then the two go shoe shopping.

Gabby has knitted mittens to give her grandfather for his birthday, and on their way to meet him, Gabby gets a new haircut and her mother gets a surprise.

As she is preparing a special angel food cake for her mother's birthday, a girl is surprised by three angels who have dropped in for a taste.

While Rose's mother has a "quick chat" on the telephone, Rose is supposed to get ready for bed but finds she is hosting a party instead.

The making of "Show ways," or quilts which once served as secret maps for freedom-seeking slaves, is a tradition passed from mother to daughter in the author's family.