It is summer in Euharlee, Georgia, and Imogene Lavender's garden is bursting with snap beans, okra, and tomatoes. The household, made up of Imo, her daughter Jeanette, Jeanette's new baby, and Lou, Imo's niece, is about to grow as well. Imo's estranged mother, Mama Jewell, has been evicted from her retirement home, and Imo feels it's her duty to take her in. Mama Jewell brings with her some secrets from the past, including long-buried memories of Imo's difficult childhood.' Mater Biscuit is a wonderful evocation of small town life in the South, a world where hard work and prayers unite the caring, close-knit community. Life isn't always easy for Imo and her girls, but they have each other to get through tough times and enjoy the good times -- and the garden to remind them that life, too, changes with the seasons.