In late summer of 1963, Ray, along with her sister and her mother, are moving from Charleston to Jasper, South Carolina. Their mother has been caring for the elderly Mrs. Pringle. The parting words coming from Mrs. Pringle's son that the two girls are bastards sets the tone for the rest of Ray's life in her need to be someone important and respected.

Upon arriving in Jasper, Ray is invited to join three other girls her age and their boy friends to steal watermelons, an annual tradition by the group. Ray, Kitty B, Hilda and Sis become steadfast friends, sharing all confidences, except that which Ray is most ashamed of. As each of the girls marries her high-school sweetheart, Ray reaches the status of Jasper's First Lady. Continuing the Southern traditions for the Wedding Guild is her legacy.

As each of their daughters is married, all four women are involved in the preparations for the proper society weddings and each reflect back on their lives and how events have changed them. With the help of her church, Ray is finding a way to put her early beginnings behind her and come to terms with what's important in life.

I found this storyline a little difficult to follow with so many characters introduced in the beginning and the story oscillating back and forth between the 1960s and the present. Each of the characters are clearly defined, but again, not easy to follow because of the timelines. A good description of Southern etiquette is given and some interesting events revealed.