Parrish McCullough's father died when she was just a child, and ever since she has been fascinated by death rituals in various cultures. The antebellum McCullough home in Mississippi is haunted by his ghost, and his death has left a black hole in the family. Parrish's mother has even installed a phone line from her bedroom to her husband's grave.

Meanwhile, Parrish is a gifted artist who desperately hopes to attend college, but there is no money. She is afraid to leave her mother alone, and she keeps getting distracted by the wrong kind of man. When civil rights workers arrive in Mississippi, Parrish gets the chance to do something stellar to make her father proud.

Kate Betterton creates an unforgettable extended Southern family and vividly brings to life its dreams, its disappointments--and yes, even its beloved ghosts.