In a time and place where rebelling against the rules carries a steep price, Bezellia Grove must decide which of her names will be the one that defines her.
When Bezellia has a clandestine affair with Nathaniel’s son, Samuel, their romance is met with anger and fear from both families. And they certainly aren’t supposed to fall in love.
Black boys aren’t supposed to make conversation with white girls. Black servants aren’t supposed to eat at the same table as their white employers. Relationships are complicated in 1960s Nashville, where society remains neatly ordered by class, status and skin color. To her parents, they will never be more than servants. To Bezellia, Maizelle and Nathaniel are cherished family members. For as long as she can remember, she’s been raised by Maizelle, the nanny, and Nathaniel, the handyman. Her father, who spends long hours at work, is distant and inaccessible. That means speaking fluent French, dancing at cotillions with boys from other important families, and mastering the art of the perfect smile. As a Grove, she belongs to one of city’s most prominent families and is expected to embrace her position in high society. Her mother hides her drinking but her alcoholism is hardly a secret. Nobody in Nashville has a bigger name to live up to than Bezellia Grove. Though she leads a life of privilege, being a Grove is far from easy. But Bezellia refuses all nicknames and dreams that one day she, too, will be remembered for her original namesake’s courage and passion. The others in the long line of Bezellias shortened the ancestral name to Bee, Zee or Zell. That means speaking fluent French, dancing at cotillions with boys from other important families, and mastering the art of the perfect smile.Īlso looming large is her given name Bezellia, which has been passed down for generations to the first daughter born to the eldest Grove. Nobody in Nashville has a bigger name to live up to than Bezellia Grove.
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