The other kids at our public school call us the hippies, but we’re not like the flower children or anything. I mean, we dress a little different, like, I have my calico dress, and we all go barefoot, but that’s it. ‘Cept for the tepees. Rose ‘n Johnny made them, I think, when New Hope was just gettin’ started. We don’t got running water and stuff, but it doesn’ matter much.

There’s not as many people here as used to be. There’s Rose ‘n Johnny, but they’ve been here since the beginning. Sarai and Lillyann I live with. One of ‘em is my mama, but I dunno which. Doesn’t matter none. They love each other, kiss ‘n stuff, an’ they love me. Then there’s Eddie. He’s in college down at the city, and Jeremiah is my best friend. He’s eleven, one year older ‘n me, but we get ‘long pretty well good. Eddie calls me Little Burr, ‘cuz my name is Amber. He thinks he’s a stitch in the side, he does.

But this ain’t really my story.
This is the story of what happened here at New Hope, and more ‘portantly, what happened after.