This novella is set in a dreary Southern mill town. Miss Amelia Evans, a tall, strong and independent woman, runs the general store. The arrival of a hunchbacked stranger, Cousin Lymon, changes her life and turns her store into a lively café that draws the community together. A triangle of love and rivalry soon forms when her former husband returns. Told in a spare, fable-like voice, the story treats love as something one-sided and often painful. It is among McCullers's most admired works and is often published with her short stories.
Quotes
If you walk along the main street on an August afternoon there is nothing whatsoever to do.