LeeAnn’s answer to “The part where Judy is revealed was confusing to me. Was she one of the twins born to Queenie and B…” > Likes and Comments

Thanks. That helps. What happened to Gabby? That wasn't clear to me either.

They said toward the end when May was telling her story that they never found him.

I am so glad I'm not the only one confused about "Judy". Thanks for the explanation. I do think it could have been clearer.

I was confused about judy too. The author should have tied that detail up more clearly

But I thought the book said Judy was born in Baltimore. Queenie went into labor with twins on the Arcadia,nowhere near Baltimore. I am very confused

I so wanted Judy to be Camilla.

Queenie Foss gave birth to her twins, a boy and a girl, in Memphis. The rich young woman, Christine, who loses her baby (she's a blue baby, suffering lack of oxygen) is in Baltimore. This young woman is Mrs. Myers, and her husband is overseas. The Baltimore doctor tells Christine's father, "I know of a woman in Memphis." This woman, we learn, is Miss Tann. The Memphis doctors, in cahoots with the evil Miss Tann, tell Queenie her twins are dead and that the Foss's hospital bill will be considered paid if the Fosses (Queenie and Briny) give their other 4 children to Tann. The baby girl twin (to whom Queenie gave birth) becomes Judy Myers. She grows up to marry Senator Stafford Senior and is the mother of Wells, Avery's dad: Judy Myers Stafford is this Avery’s beloved grandma Judy. Judy is the long lost sister of Rill (May), Lark, and Fern, as well as of the late Camellia (who was killed in the closet of Miss Tann’s “home” for so-called orphans).

I really thought it was gonna be Camilla, because I kept thinking about when Avery first showed Judy the picture of Queenie and Briny holding the baby, she welled up and said "Queenie,,,Arcadia". How did she know them if she was taken at birth?

The book may confuse you because it moves in time between past and present. Avery shows Grandma Judy (now suffering from dementia) May's (Rill's photo), and Judy recognizes "Queenie" and recalls "The Arcadia." This is because for many years previous to this scene in the novel, Judy has been reunited with her long lost sisters Rill, Lark, and Fern, through the help of Trent (who was little Stevie), "the people finder." May (Rill) knew Judy Myers Stafford socially; when May went to Judy to help her write her family story, their research and Trent helped to identify Judy as the long lost Foss baby girl, who had been erroneously reported dead at birth. (She was actually whisked away and given to the wealthy Myers family: that was Christine Myer who gave birth to a dead baby in the very beginning of the bookT. he four Foss sisters, May (Rill), Fern (Beth), Lark (Bonnie) and Judy reunited periodically for Sisters Day at the Edisto cottage. So as with many persons with dementia, Judy can recall bits and pieces from the past, including identifying the photo, about which she learned during Sisters Day.

That makes sense. :)

Glad I could be of help. I am an English Professor, so I read the novel very closely!

Thanks it was confusing

Joan, thank you for explaining this all!! I just finished the book and was also confused but your answer makes complete sense.

That’s what I thought , just wanted to clarify

Thanks for the clarification!

But what happened to Shad Arthur Foss?