An enchanting intro to a collection of unforgettable characters-Elizabeth, Queen of the Projects ; the girl Billie who sings like Lady Day; young Randolph who, to his family’s embarrassment, grows a second head for a while; Dean Dale Jackson, talented writer, sculptor, auto mechanic, and dedicated to the underbelly of a bottle; the Vernon family upwardly mobile but required by a will to grow cotton in their suburban backyard; and Marlene and James, who find happiness in an unexpected way, in marriage.