Growing up in Alabama, Renkl was a devoted reader, an explorer of riverbeds and red-dirt roads, and a fiercely loved daughter. Here, in brief essays, she traces a tender and honest portrait of her complicated parents—her exuberant, creative mother; her steady, supportive father—and of the bittersweet moments that accompany a child’s transition to caregiver. Braided into this collection of essays are beautiful observations of the world around her suburban Nashville home. The book is also illustrated by her brother Billy Renkl. A gorgeous book for the end of summer.