The story starts in Pittman County, Kentucky, with a young woman, Marietta. Marietta lived there for many years before finally graduating from high school, thanks to her mother Alice, who raised and supported her.

After graduating from high school, Marietta got a job managing equipment at a local hospital. Marietta felt unfulfilled with her life and wanted to seek a place of her own.

With her feelings of unfulfillment, Marietta used up her money and bought a car. Feeling a sense of discovery, Marietta changed her name to Taylor and set out for a new life in Tucson, Arizona

One day, along the road in the Cherokee Nation, Taylor stopped at a local diner to rest. There, Taylor met a kid, wrapped up in blankets, by a frightened woman. 

Taylor brought the kid along to Arizona with her. During your time on the road, Taylor thought  the kid had a grip like a mud turtle, so she named her Turtle. 

After barely arriving in Tucson, her car broke down, and Taylor took it to an auto repair shop. There she met a kind women named Mattie, the owner of the shop, who helped Taylor and Turtle out.

After Taylor got her car fixed, she tried to find a job and found one at Burger Derby. At the same time, Turtle stayed at a daycare in a shopping mall.

After a week or so, Taylor got fired from her job and was on the lookout for jobs in the newspaper. There she found an ad by Lou Ann, who was looking for a roommate.

Lou Ann had a baby named Dwayne Ray, and her husband Angel had left, leaving her as a single parent, and she needed help around the house.

Taylor got hired as help around the house for Lou Ann and Turtle stayed at their house with Dwayne Ray.

Things began to change when Mattie offered her one at Jesus Is Lord Used Tires. One sunny afternoon at the shop, Taylor met Estevan and Esperanza, two friends of Mattie’s who had traveled a long way to the U.S.