The Education of Annie
Annie is the only person in her large family to graduate from high school. She dreams of making something of herself, but she's stuck in Soso, Mississippi, working menial jobs to put herself through junior college. At age twenty-three, she musters the courage and financial support to move away from home to attend the university. It's just thirty miles from Soso, but a universe away, to Annie. Annie's parents have no concept of the demands of college, and they're too wrapped up in their own problems to care. "Home" is a filthy roach-infested rental house. The family's been evicted from countless others like it. Annie is too ashamed to bring anyone home. The main reason they live this way is Daddy. He's a self-ordained preacher, a Jimmy Swaggart wannabe. Yet he lusts for women, eats like a pig, and rarely works a steady job. His only real occupation is watching TV and griping back at the newscasters. When Annie falls in love with Thomas, the clash between her college lifestyle and home life grows to a crisis. The Education of Annie shows the journey Annie takes toward self-acceptance and independence. The story is interwoven with threads of love and humor, and presents an array of memorable characters.