Mattie is a redemptive story that is filled with revelation as it pertains to God’s unfailing love for all of us. It seems to begin in an era where the newly liberated south is free to continue in its old prejudices. However, it really begins in the heart of one young girl who is taken on a timeless journey initiated by loss and motivated by revenge. But God, a Masterful Teacher orchestrated this journey in order for her to learn the true meaning of Mercy. Mattie Styles begins in a home where her daddy is unsure of his footing, not truly in or out of her life, and not sure whether there is enough reason for him to choose to stay. Her mother suffers from a slow debilitating disease that steals her memories and saps her of her ability to be cognitively present in her family’s life. Her paternal grandmother, Betty Jean, is holding the family by its fraying foundation, as she struggles to remind her son of his obligation to his family, tries to help anchor her daughter in-law’s mind to the NOW and prays God’s hedge of protection remain around her grandson and granddaughter. But a tragic murder serves as the catalyst that awakens hidden gifts and introduces Mattie to a life of discovery and unexpected temptations. It is during this life shattering funeral that Mattie experiences the dilemma of being between the road that leads to mercy, grace and forgiveness or bitterness and the evil use of her new found abilities.