Looking For Salvation at the Dairy Queen

Every night, Catherine Grace Cline prays to escape her life in Ringgold, Georgia. She lives in her small Southern town with her sister Martha Ann Cline and their father Marshall Cline (Daddy), who is the preacher at Cedar Grove Baptist Church. Her great-grandfather, a former bootlegger, founded the church, inspiring the family’s intense attachment to the faith. The family is also known for its prize-winning tomatoes. Tired of farming, Sunday school, and God’s unanswered prayers, Catherine Grace has been resolved to leave town ever since her mother Lena Mae Cline died when she was six. She and Martha Ann spend their days plotting their escape from Ringgold at the local Dairy Queen.

Two trips to Atlanta intensify Catherine’s desire for city life. Daddy meanwhile reminds her how good they have it in Ringgold, but the town’s predictability disillusions Catherine Grace. Every Easter Sunday, for example, she gets frustrated when Emma Sue Huckstep finds the golden egg in the church egg hunt. Daddy assures her that her own reward lies elsewhere, but Catherine Grace remains focused on leaving.