Told from the perspective of Meg, a thirteen year old who is taking her first hesitant steps into adolescence, "Little Jordan" recounts a series of events -- a death, an attempted suicide, a mother's disastrous affair, a first kiss -- that resonate and finally coalesce in the reader's mind. Marly Youmans conveys with elegance and economy the unpredictable tragedies, deep secrets, and subtle oddities that affect a small Southern town and transform a teenager's world during one unforgettable summer.