Junie

Junie crouches outside the gate of the main house, studying its imposing facade and remembering her late sister, Minnie. Junie misses her and wishes that she could have been as good as Minnie. Back in the house, Junie’s great-aunt Marilla scolds her for disappearing. Marilla’s daughter, Bess, is annoyed with Junie for shirking her laundry responsibilities, too. Junie begs her not to tell her grandmother Muh that she was out all night.

In the main house, Junie helps prepare and serve the McQueens’ breakfast. Mrs. Innis McQueen and her daughter, Violet McQueen, are eating together when William joins them. He hasn’t been home in some time, and Violet feigns excitement. Then, the McQueens get into an argument about running the cotton plantation. William dismisses Violet and Junie. From the hall, Violet listens to her parents argue while Junie goes upstairs.

In Violet’s room, Junie reads from Violet’s books. She and Violet have grown up together, and Violet taught Junie to read. She lets Junie read her books in secret whenever she wants.

Violet joins Junie, informing her that their family is struggling with money. She also says that her parents talked about “a young man from New Orleans” and his sister (21), who are coming to visit tomorrow. Excited, Violet asks Junie about romance; she wants a love like Rochester in Jane Eyre. Junie feels overwhelmed by the prospect of guests.

Junie joins her family in the cookhouse. Muh questions her about her whereabouts the night before, but Bess covers for her. The conversation turns to their impending visitors. Grandaddy, Marilla, and Muh speculate that the gentleman visitor is a prospective husband for Violet. They also surmise that Junie will have to accompany Violet to New Orleans, Louisiana, if they marry. Junie silently panics. When she goes to fill the water bucket, her relatives tease her about being a bad worker, especially compared to Minnie. Tired of being compared to Minnie, Junie snaps at Muh and races outside.

Out at the water pump, Junie’s mind races back to the day of Minnie’s funeral. She still blames herself for Minnie’s death. Granddaddy appears and comforts her.

For the rest of the day, Junie distracts herself by thinking about her favorite poems. However, her mind keeps drifting to Minnie.

During dinner, she listens to the McQueens discuss their impending visit from Mr. Beauregard “Beau” Taylor III and his sister, Miss Beatrix “Bea” Taylor. William and Innis inform Violet that Beau will make a good match—a marriage necessary to save the plantation.

After dinner, Junie tries comforting a distressed Violet. They read Wuthering Heights to distract Violet from her anxiety over the Taylors’ visit. Innis’s appearance interrupts them. She insists on helping Violet choose a dress for tomorrow, dismissing Junie to the cookhouse.

Junie confronts Bess about the prospect of going to New Orleans with Violet after she marries. Bess confirms that she’ll have to. Distressed, Junie races out to her favorite tree, Old Mother.

Last winter, she was climbing Old Mother when a branch broke, and she fell into the icy water. Minnie jumped in to rescue her; afterward, she contracted a fever and died by morning. Junie still blames herself. After losing Minnie, she also can’t bear the idea of leaving her family behind.

Suddenly, she remembers Minnie’s necklace. Minnie never told her where it came from, but Junie guesses that it was valuable. She wonders if she could sell it and make money to solve the McQueens’ financial problems. Remembering that Muh buried the necklace in a jar with Minnie, she races out to Minnie’s grave, digs up the jar, and retrieves the necklace. Moments later, Minnie’s ghost appears. A panicked Junie runs away.

Minnie’s ghost follows Junie. Although unnerved, Junie tries engaging her. Minnie seems to want the necklace, so Junie flings it onto the forest floor and flees.

Junie wakes up from nightmares about Minnie. In the cookhouse, Muh apologizes to Junie about the day before and assures her that she loves her. Ever since losing Junie and Minnie’s mother, Charlotte, Muh has been attached to the girls. She encourages Junie not to lose heart. Even if she has to go to New Orleans, Muh will think about her every day, just as she never stopped thinking about Charlotte when she was sold to another enslaver. Junie is surprised when Muh admits that she used to see Charlotte’s ghost, but Muh explains that sometimes ghosts get stuck between worlds if they have unfinished business.

At the main house, Junie serves drinks when the Taylors arrive. She immediately dislikes Beau; he steps on her toe and criticizes her skin tone. She watches in disgust as he tries to charm Violet, and Violet plays along. Suddenly, Minnie’s ghost appears at the edge of the woods, holding the necklace.

Junie returns to the woods to find Minnie. Minnie explains that Junie needs to help her with something. Junie agrees, remembering what Muh said about ghosts. Minnie tasks her with finding a green box in the house.

After Minnie disappears, Junie runs into a boy smoking in the woods. He introduces himself as Caleb, Beau’s 17-year-old coachman. Junie tries to get away from him until Caleb knocks into a beehive, and Junie is compelled to save him.

Junie returns to the house that evening for the McQueens’ dinner. She notices that Beau’s sister, Bea, seems skeptical of Violet. Her demeanor changes, however, when Violet plays an opera on the piano. At the back of the room, Junie and Caleb surreptitiously chat about Beau. Caleb explains that Violet will make a good match for him because he is a merchant who doesn’t have land; he’d get Bellereine via the marriage.

Junie goes to the Emerald Room to prepare it for Bea, who will be sleeping there. Remembering Minnie’s task, she digs through the dresser for the green box. Bea appears, insisting that Junie stay out of the room from now on.

Unable to sleep that night, Junie sneaks out of the cabin. She runs into Caleb outside the stables. They sit together and chat. Then, Junie asks Caleb if she’ll help distract Bea so that she can get back into her room. In exchange, she’ll teach him to read.

The next day, Junie trails Violet, Bea, Beau, and the McQueens in the garden while they discuss flowers, opera, and books. Suddenly, Beau realizes that Bea’s parasol is torn. He beats Caleb with it to punish him for giving her a bad parasol. Innis sends Junie inside to fetch another one.

Junie digs through Bea’s room until she finds a green box hidden inside the back of the vanity. Bess finds her before she can figure out how to open it. She hides it in Violet’s closet before returning to the garden.

The following day, Junie notices Violet softening toward Bea and Beau. She feels hurt but tries to focus on the mysterious box instead. In Violet’s room that evening, Junie hides Violet’s Grimm’s Fairy Tales and the green box in her dress. Anxious to leave, she snaps at Violet for chattering about love.

Junie joins Caleb in the stables and apologizes for what happened earlier. An unfazed Caleb asserts that all white people are the same. He then opens up about his past, revealing that he was born in the Caribbean. Enslavers stole him from his home, tore him away from his mother, and shipped him to America. One enslaver taught him to play the piano, but after his death, things worsened for Caleb. He insists that all white people are soulless. Junie protests, defending Violet. Caleb is doubtful but doesn’t push Junie. The two finally part ways, agreeing to meet up the next night to read the fairy tales.