The Dry Grass of August

Taut, thoughtful, and complex. Publishers Weekly

Set in 1950s North Carolina, Anna Jean Mayhews instant classic coming of age novel, which evokes the writing of Sue Monk Kidd, is a heartwarming, vividly transporting depiction of Southern life in the throes of segregation, what it will mean for a young girl on her way to adulthoodand for the woman who means the world to her…

**Includes an updated discussion guide and new letter to readers from Anna Jean Mayhew!

On a scorching day in August 1954, thirteen-year-old Jubie Watts leaves Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family for a Florida vacation. Crammed into the Packard along with Jubie are her three siblings, her mother, and the familys black maid, Mary Luther. For as long as Jubie can remember, Mary has been therecooking, cleaning, compensating for her fathers rages and her mothers benign neglect, and loving Jubie unconditionally.

Bright and curious, Jubie takes note of the anti-integration signs they pass, and of the racial tension that builds as they journey further south. But she could never have predicted the shocking turn their trip will take. Now, in the wake of tragedy, Jubie must confront her parents failings and limitations, decide where her own convictions lie, and make the tumultuous leap to independence . . .

Infused with the intensity of a changing time, here is a story of hope, heartbreak, and the love and courage that can transform usfrom child to adult, from wounded to indomitable.