Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and analyzes the source text’s discussion of racism.

Corky, the protagonist of the story and primary point-of-view character in Lynda Rutledge’s narrative, lives in the segregated small town of High Cotton, Texas, dividing her time between, school, church, and the library. In the summer of 1964, she works at her father’s drugstore. Rutledge describes Corky as a “tomboy” who looks more like her father—“pug-nosed, sandy-haired, and freckled” (14).

Corky loves books and is curious about the world. She is eager to learn, constantly asking direct and challenging questions that irritate the adults around her. Her constant companion is her dog, Roy Rogers, who always protects her. Corky’s character arc centers on Coming of Age in a Transformative Era. Growing up during a time of socio-cultural shifts transforms her perspective on the world. Corky borrows Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird from the library, which perplexes her and excites her curiosity. Despite living in a place governed by Jim Crow laws, Corky’s privilege protects her from the harsh reality of racism and discrimination in her own home town.