When she learns of the death of her mother Lorraine, Purslane Hominy Will returns to her hometown of New Orleans after a long time away. But her return home turns out very differently for the 17-year-old than expected. First she misses the funeral by a day. Then she discovers that the family estate, a simple wooden house on the outskirts of town, has turned into a run-down dump. And to make matters worse, she has to come to terms with two strange men who have taken up residence in the house: the aging ex-literature professor Bobby Long and his protégé Lawson Pines.