In this family chronicle set in turn-of-the-century Ohio, and the most autobiographical of Powell's novels, young Marcia Willard's family struggles to keep up with the changing times and Marcia endures disillusionment and cruelty to forge a survivor s sense of independence. One of the very few examples of a book written for adults, with an adult command of the language, that maintains the vantage point of a hungry, serious child throughout.