"Ellen Foster Is A Southern Holden Caulfield, Tougher Perhaps, As Funny. . . . A Breathtaking First Novel." -Walker Percy "A Stunning New Writer. . . . The Life In This Novel, The Honesty Of Th0ought And Eye And Feeling And Word -Eudora Welty "The Story Of A Redoubtable Girl Who Overcomes Adversity With Humor, Spunk, And Determination, Kaye Gibbons's First Novel Is A Work Of Considerable Subtlety And Intellectual Sophistication. A Terrific Book." -Jonathan Yardley,The Washington Post Book World "Filled With Lively Humor, Compasion And Integrity . . . Ellen Foster May Be The Most Trustworthy Character In Recent Fiction." -Alice Hoffman,The New York Times Book Review