The Parrs of Duval County Resurface--in a whole new light In her debut novel, A Wasp in the Fig Tree, the author, Mary Bryan Stafford--a member of the family--delivers insight and a whole new perspective into the dynasty of the Parrs. Mixing fact and fiction, hers is a skillfully woven tale based on the actual history of South Texas--a fascinating region where cultures have blended for centuries. The voice of Isabel Martin rings true to her age as well as the time and place where she's growing up, and the real political facts are smoothly intertwined in this story of a young girl coming to terms with life among Tejanos and the infamous patrons of Duval County, Texas--the Parrs. Isabel Martin is a witness to history. When the whole county talks about how Lyndon Johnson owes his career to the Parrs, she listens. Is her uncle innocent of the vicious gossip? And after she witnesses a bitter argument between her uncle and his brother, she fears he contributed to his brother's suicide. How can she know what to believe when rumor lays a film of guilt over the family she loves? Although she doesn't understand all the she sees and hears from this generation that withheld "adult" information, she is determined to find the truth."