Judy always heard Mama say, I hope the neighbors won't find out about this. After her brother Ross' sudden death, Judy witnessed all the basic Southern family food groups: attempted suicide, alcoholism, mental illness, infidelity, voodoo, divorce, jail time, and...hope. Like a piano placed against the outside wall, almost everyone she knew seemed out of tune. In a lifelong journey, Judy learned to take the best from her roots without being a slave to the past. She also learned that a mother's love can keep a family together even in exceptional circumstances.