Joan Brooks Baker grew up privileged in the New York City of post-World War II America.
The Yankee daughter of transplanted, dyed-in-the-wool Southerners soon confronted an unwritten code of conduct--the Magnolia Code--that paralyzed her mother and threatened to do the same to her.
In this embellished memoir, Baker shares how she navigated her bifurcated world, defying the code and finding role models in rebellious women including her Aunt Billie, who challenged her to be herself regardles.
