First of all, I love, love, love this book! Opal is the sweetest little girl, with a huge heart. As I read I felt light hearted and sympathetic for Opal. This book shows what it means to be a friend. It also shows what true compassion for another person is. I don’t believe that I had a favorite character, but I really liked Gloria. She was so wise and with the simple comment about holding on to something that wants to be let go. She helped sum up the theme of the book and it gave the reader a settling thought about the internal conflict that Opal struggled with throughout the book about her mother. I really believe that many children from the south can relate to Opal because so much of the southern culture is incorporated into the book. Such as the Baptist church Opal’s father preaches at, the stories of the Civil War, and just the southern hospitality that is represented by the characters. This book was a fun to read and I can't wait to use it in my classroom.