Twelve-year-old Tiger Ann Parker desperately wants to escape from her rural town of Saitter, Louisiana -- and the struggles of living with a mentally disabled mother, a "slow" father, and classmates who taunt her. But before she leaves to spend the summer with her aunt in Baton Rouge, the sudden revelation of a dark family secret prompts Tiger to make a decision that will ultimately change her life. Set in the South in the late 1950s, this compelling coming-of-age novel is filled with beautiful language, unforgettable characters, and the importance of family and home.