A Bridge to France

As a poor girl growing up in the rural south, Joan Harrell ran barefoot and built imaginary playhouses in the tall grass. But, although she rarely strayed far from her own back stoop, Joan often crossed a bridge of memories built by her mother, a Bridge to France. Through Mama's yearning, France became a place that was happier, grander, and better in every way than the one in which mother and daughter found themselves.