Set in the bayous of the Florida Everglades in a migrant labor camp, "The Upper Room" is a powerful, vibrant, and lyrical story, peopled with richly-drawn and unforgettable characters. Most memorable of all, is the indomitable, astounding, larger-than-life Mama Ruby, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, a woman with healing hands, a voracious appetite, and a switchblade and a crucifix at her bosom.Mama Ruby may not be all crazy, but she's at least halfway there. She's known for taking things that aren't rightfully hers, like her best friend's stillborn baby -- a tiny girl that she brought back to life and christened Maureen. She's also rumored to have done away with her husband.With her God-fearing neighbors watching her every step, it's all Mama Ruby can do to stay ahead of the law. One desperate night, she flees to Goons, a dirt-poor migrant settlement in the Everglades -- and strangely, it feels like home. And through everything, she remains downright nuts about the one gift God gave her -- her precious daughter Maureen. But growing up with a mama like Ruby is enough to make any half-sane girl wish for something -- anything -- else. And when Maureen gets the chance to explore the "real" world, you can bet she's going to take it...and run like hell.