Willow Tree Jo — Ellen Miller

For a while now, eighteen -year-old Maggie has been dreaming of leaving Hoop County, SC for Philadelphia. The country is going through the Great Depression, and she imagined a new life away from the poverty and drudgery of the rural south. Plus, she could help her family by sending money home.Before she leaves to go North Maggie meets Clarence at a dance and after a brief courtship they fall in love., He begs her to stay in Hoop County and marry him forcing her to make the difficult decision of whether to follow her heart or to follow her dreams. Under their special Willow Tree she promises Clarence that when she returns in a year, she will be ready to be his wife and that nothing will ever come between them.After arriving in Philadelphia, Maggie is introduced to the nightlife of clubs and parties but as her backwoods image gradually dissolves, she finds herself faced with more than just broken promises.