Full Many a Flower

by Ruby Dayton

"In the aftermath of the Great Depression, two year old Molly Whittaker's mother dies and leaves her in the care of her father, Truman, and her two brothers. Truman is desperate to keep his family together but when World War 2 begins, his older son joins and his younger son takes residence
with his uncle. Truman and Molly roam the banks of the Mississippi river,
he works clearing new ground and picking cotton until he gets a job
operating a ferry. But, after a steamer collides with his vessel he fears
for Molly's life and tries to find work elsewhere. Truman meets with a
farm couple and they persuaded him to leave Molly with them.
After a few years, Truman returns with a gypsy wife and her three
adolescent sons. Molly is torn from a caring home and thrust into the
clutches of this strange family. The Whittaker's take to the road as
migrant field workers. A tent provides the only roof over their heads.
Periodically, they miscalculate the harvest seasons and fine themselves
destitute and near starvation. Truman soon discovers Manita ,his wife, is
a soliciting prostitute and chooses to ignore the fact due to the much
needed money. During a harrowing drunken episode, Manita pins Truman to
the floor with a knife though his chest. Molly witnesses the event. At
eight she is orphaned.
Molly suffers bells palsy, leaving her face distorted. She refuses to
speak. A mute, her teacher labels her incapable of learning and sends her
home. Molly grows up illiterate. After the war is over, she comes to live
with her brother and his wife, in the foothills of the Appalachian
mountains. There, Molly triumphs over her years of adversity and becomes
a prominent southern artist. She acquires an education and finds romance,
love and stability.."

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000