Daralynn Oakland was grounded for going fishing without permission. That's the only reason she wasn't in her Daddy's plane when it crashed and killed him, her brother, and her little sister, Lilac Rose. Even though she doesn't like dolls, well-wishers send her 237 of them, resulting in her new nickname, Dolly. Her mother is inconsolable and uncommunicative after the deaths. She has a breezeway built connecting her house to her mother's next door. Her mother is getting forgetful and treats Daralynn's dolls as if they are real children. Because her mother does such a good job dressing her husband, son, and daughter for the funeral and doing their hair, she is offered a job fixing the hair of deceased for the local funeral home. This position leads to her opening her own beauty parlor. Daralynn struggles to deal with all her loses by writing letters in Pertinent Facts and Important Information, a journal given to her by her teacher, Mrs. Staniss. Her journal is instrumental in the arrest of a flimflam man and her strong-willed determination to do the right thing opens the way for much needed healing.
Mark Twain Award Preliminary Nominee 2012-13
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